Love in the Real World
by scarlett0531
Summary: Bella Swan has just accepted her first job at a popular ski resort after graduating from the University of Washington. She is excited to see what the real world has to offer. Although finding love is the farthest thing from her mind and the last thing
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A"N: This is my first fanfic. The idea has been rattling around in my head for awhile, so I figured it was time to release the characters and see what happened! I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

Prologue

BPOV

I was driving as fast as the snow covered mountain pass would safely allow. I just had to get as far away from him as possible. There was just no way that I could go through this kind of pain and humiliation again. Having your heart broken once in a lifetime was too much. Twice wasn't even imaginable.

I knew that leaving during the snowstorm and being an emotional wreck was definitely a bad idea, but being rational wasn't exactly where I was at this point in time. I knew my old truck was capable of getting me safely away from the resort even in snowy weather. The worst part of the drive was the windy mountain road from the resort to the main highway. After I reached the highway, I would call Alice and let her know that I was safe and needed some time to sort through my racing thoughts and emotions.

I was so lost in my thoughts as the tears streamed down my face that I didn't hear the distant rumble of the avalanche on the mountainside until it was too late.

Although avalanches could be common during the winter months, I had yet to witness one while working at the resort. Therefore, I had no idea what they entailed other than the brief descriptions given by the ski patrol. I was in no way prepared for the large wall of snow and debris that hit the passenger side of my truck with such force that it took my breath away as my chest slammed into the steering wheel. Within a few seconds I realized that my truck was no longer safely on the mountain pass, but was skidding closer to the guard rail on the other side of the road. I tried to swerve back to the right side, but the force of the snow wall was just too great.

The tumult of snow continued its assault on my truck until it hit the guard rail. I sent up a silent prayer that the rail would hold against my ancient Chevy truck and the vast amounts of relentless moving snow. The rail creaked and groaned in a valiant attempt to hold my truck steady, but the snow was ruthless and continued to push in opposition against my truck. Soon the snow had covered the cab of my truck and the glass of the windshield and passenger window began to groan just before it shattered, spraying me in the face with glass shards, snow, and debris cutting into my face and neck.

I knew that I was in serious trouble as the truck groaned one more time before sliding to the left and beginning its descent down the mountain side. My head was hurled into the driver's side window as the truck began to roll. Then everything started to turn hazy and the images in front of me began to swim out of focus. The last thing I remember was thinking…"Edward, Why?" before the darkness enveloped me.

AN" Let me know what you are thinking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Chapter 1

BPOV

As I drove up the windy mountain pass towards the posh ski resort located at the top of the mountain, my mind began to wander to the events that had led me to this point in my life.

***

_Two months ago…_

_At least it was a relatively slow day at the local coffee shop that I worked at part time while I finished the last of my classes at the University of Washington during the summer session. _

_Slow days were the best because it allowed me time to study between customers and ponder what exactly the next move in my life would entail. The so called "real world" was weeks away and I really had no idea what I was going to do. _

_If you would have asked me 6 months ago what my plans were, the answer would have been an easy one, but life had other plans and so did James. His plans were named Victoria and most defiantly did not include me. _

_Although life had thrown me a nasty loop when the situation with James had occurred without warning, I had gotten through it by the grace of my friends and several pints of Ben and Jerry's. Now things were moving forward, however the lack of employment and housing that was looming in my future was a constant nagging concern. _

_So here I stood behind the counter of the coffee shop on a rainy Sunday afternoon wondering if I should start looking outside of the Seattle area for a job, when a very pretty woman walked in the door shaking the rain from her umbrella and her tailored rain coat. She was the first customer of my shift and the shop was currently vacant. _

_She was talking on her cell phone and mumbling in a slightly frustrated voice to the person on the end. _

"_Well that is just great!" she said. _

"_How in the world are we going to find someone on short notice that can replace Carmen?" she replied in a mildly exasperated tone. _

_I waited patiently for her to finish so that I could take her order without interrupting her. I was used to the businessmen and women that often had to take business calls while in the shop. _

_She listened to the other person for a moment and then sighed heavily. _

"_I know. I know. It's just such a shame to lose her. We will have to sit down and come up with an ad to place as soon as possible when I get home tomorrow", she told the other person. _

_She quickly finished her call and hung up before approaching the counter to place her order. I told her she could have a seat and I would bring it to her in a few minutes. _

_I quickly made her latte and decided to take her a brownie from our case as well. A little chocolate always helped me when I was upset or frustrated. I sat the coffee and brownie down on her table. She looked up and smiled at me, questioning the dessert. _

_I just shrugged and said, "You looked like you could use a little cheering up." _

"_Well, thank you. I definitely need some chocolate right now. Would you care to sit and chat for a minute?" she inquired._

_I thought for a minute and figured a break was ok. I was here alone and there were no other customers, so it couldn't hurt. I pulled the chair out from the other side of the table and sat down. She held out her to introduce herself, "I'm Esme by the way."_

_I quickly shook her hand and replied, "I'm Bella."_

_We made small talk while she drank her coffee and ate the brownie. She told me about her family and the ski resort that the owned in the mountains not to far away. Apparently the resort had been in her husband's family for several generations and was still quite the family business. She told me that her sons and daughter all worked at the resort. It was apparent that the resort and her family were of great importance to her. _

_I in turn told her about my family and explained that I was a student at UW, and happily explained that I was almost ready to graduate. She offered her congratulations and then an inquisitive look came across her face. _

"_What exactly is your major, Bella?" she inquired. _

"_Well I actually couldn't decide, so I majored in Literature and Business", I supplied. _

_A grin slowly spread across her face and she looked at me an almost hopeful expression before asking her next question. _

"_Do you have any plans for after graduation then?" she inquired. _

"_Actually, no, I was just thinking about job hunting when you walked in the door. I don't want to travel to far away to find a job, but I don't make enough money to afford an apartment and living expenses working here either. So I guess I will have to expand my search area soon", I replied easily. _

_I huge grin spread across her face, and I almost fell over at her next words. _

"_This must have been fate, Bella! It just so happens that our ski resort is looking for a new assistant general manager and I think you would be perfect for the job!" Esme exclaimed. She truly seemed delighted by this idea. _

_It took me a few seconds to register what she was saying to me. Before I could say anything else her phone rang again. She quickly answered it and then asked the person to hold on for a minute. _

"_Bella, I would really like to discuss this with you seriously. Please call me when your shift is over and we can meet to discuss it", she said. _

"_Okay", I replied. She jotted down her number and stood up to leave. _

"_Call me", she reminded and then hurried out into the rain talking very animatedly to the person on the phone. _

***

The meeting with Esme that followed that chance encounter was what led me to be driving on this mountain road to start my first "real job".

As luck would have it, the previous assistant manager, Carmen, had eloped and was giving her notice. Unfortunately for Esme it was close to the start of their busy season. Great for me though because I now had the job, along with the additional perk of being able to live on the resort as part of my employment.

Esme and I had met for dinner that night and she told me all about the position, salary, and housing options. I admitted that my clumsy nature was not conducive to outdoor or indoor sports, but she assured me that it was not necessary for the job. My main responsibilities would be assisting the General Manger and other staff members to oversee the lodge and resort activities.

They pay was more than I had expected and with not having housing expenses, I could actually attempt to pay back some of my debt from being in college. In the end I gladly accepted the job and agreed to start at the beginning of November.

So here I was in my ancient Chevy truck loaded down with my few personal possessions getting ready to enter the real world for the first time. I was filled with a mixture of nerves and excitement and looking forward to what the future had to offer.

AN" I'd love to hear your thoughts


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Chapter 2

BPOV

As my truck passed the entrance to the resort, I was astounded at the beauty that surrounded me. I knew that the resort was large and had been in the Cullen family for many generations, but Esme and I had never really had the chance to talk about it in detail.

The entrance was flanked on either side by two stone pillars that opened to a gorgeous view of the main lodge and surrounding mountains. The lodge itself was wood and stone and looked like it belonged in the Swiss Alps. I knew that the lodge was the first building built when the resort was opened many decades ago.

Although it had been updated over the years, the original charm and feeling had been maintained. Esme had explained that as the resort grew and expanded, they had maintained the original design theme in the other buildings that were added to the resort.

According to the directions Esme had given me, I was to follow the road around to the right side of the lodge to the smaller building that now held the resort's offices. I knew that Esme was in a meeting with the resort's General Manager and would be unable to meet me. She had assured me though that someone would be there to show me around and help me get settled.

I parked my truck in front of the building and took a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. I was excited about this opportunity and I wanted to do my best. After spending the last six months cleaning up the mess left by James, I was ready for a fresh start and something positive to happen in my life. I was really hopeful that this was it. I was ready to focus on me for a change instead of someone else's happiness and well being.

The snow and gravel crunched under my feet as I walked up the little path to the front door of the office. After one more calming breath, I opened the door and stepped in. The room in front of me reminded me of a cozy living room. There was a fire in the fireplace and there were several comfy looking chairs and a sofa near it. An older woman was seated at a large wooden desk quietly typing at her computer. She looked up as she heard the door close behind me.

"Can I help you, dear?" she inquired with a polite smile.

"Yes, I am Bella Swan. Esme told me to come to the office to meet with someone this morning in order to get settled. Although I am not sure who I am meeting", I replied blushing a little at my ramblings.

"Oh, you are to meet with Alice. Esme told us all about you, dear. Let me just let her know you are here. I am Mrs. Cope by the way", she replied with a smile before picking up the phone on her desk and hitting a few buttons.

"Alice, dear your visitor has arrived", she spoke into the phone before hanging up.

"She will be right out, dear", Mrs. Cope told me before returning to her computer.

I looked around at the rest of the room while I waited for Alice to arrive. A few minutes later a beautiful, albeit tiny, woman walked gracefully into the room. Her hair was a short, spiky style that suited her perfectly. She could almost be described as pixie-like and she was beaming at me with this knowing look that didn't really make sense to me. She walked over to me with her hand outstretched and quickly introduced herself as Alice Whitlock.

I quickly shook her hand in return and introduced myself as well, "I'm Isabella Swan, but please call me Bella."

"Well it is nice to finally put a face to the name, Bella. I feel like I already know you after all of the talking about you my mother has been doing. She is so thrilled that she found you. She swears that fate was on our side that day", Alice said with a smile.

"Wait, you're Esme's daughter?", I inquired.

"Yes, I am. I also have two brothers, Emmett and Edward", she replied.

I just nodded at her. Esme had mentioned her children, but I had never known there names until now. Allthough I had to assume that Alice looked like her father because she did not match Esme's caramel colored, wavy locks or hazel eyes. However, both Alice and Esme were beautiful in their own right, and I was feeling a little self conscious just being near her. Thankfully she exuded such friendliness and warmth that one had to be put at ease in her presense.

"What do you say we get started on the tour of the resort and get you settled into your cabin? We can come back to the offices last and meet up with Esme then", Alice offered.

"That sounds fine by me. I am anxious to see all of the places Esme has described in person. I am sure they will be even better up close. The whole resort seems like a fairytale!" I said.

"Well, we all love it here. I guess that is why none of us have ever left. All the Cullen kids work at the resort and live on the grounds. I am sure you will meet everyone tonight at dinner", said Alice as she smiled a radiant smile at me.

"Dinner?" I questioned furrowing my brow.

"Of course, silly! Esme knew that you would be tired from traveling and not want to deal with cooking, so she thought it would be nice for us all to meet for dinner. Plus that way you can meet the rest of our crowd all in one shot.

"That's nice of Esme to think of me", I replied.

Alice just smiled at me and motioned to the door so we could begin the tour of the grounds. Alice told me that we could walk to see most of the buildings and areas that I would need to know about for my job, but I would eventually need to tour the slopes and farther out areas either on an ATV or snowmobile.

She explained that the family owned the entire mountain that the resort was located on, but that they did not utilize it all for the resort. Each of the Cullen children had their own home on the resort's property, as well as the family home where her parents still resided.

As we walked towards the main lodge, Alice told me that she was in charge of the events and social aspects related to the resort. During their prime season, the resort offered many activities outside of the outdoor sports to entertain their guests. Alice organized all of these events as well as any special occasions that cropped up throughout the year, such as weddings, banquets, parties.

I knew that part of my job would be assisting Alice with these types of events if need be. I hoped that I could keep up with the never ending level of energy that Alice seemed to possess. For someone so tiny, she was a whirlwind of energy and excitement. I couldn't help but think that Alice and I could become friends while I worked here. She had and easy going manner that just made you feel comfortable and energized.

As we walked through the large glass doors of the lodge Alice explained to me that most of the guests stayed in the rooms or suites available here. However, there were several cottages and chateaus available for people to stay in for extended periods of time.

The interior of the lodge was a larger version of the office building we were just in. There was a large wooden reception desk to the one side of the lobby. On the other side of the lobby was a two story stone fireplace surrounded by chairs and sofas. The décor was rustic but very elegant in design. We walked around several of the banquet and conference facilities, and Alice showed me some of the guest rooms. She also explained that the resort was known for its hospitality and catering to the guests needs. This would also be something that I would assist with as part of my duties.

Alice introduced me to some of the staff members as we passed them in the hallways or other areas. They were all very welcoming and friendly. I was really looking forward to working here.

After we made it through the tour of the main lodge, we decided to go back outside and see the rest of the areas that I would need to be familiar with at the resort.

Although the sun was shining the air was cool, so we buttoned up our coats and walking quickly to our other destinations. We didn't actually tour the other buildings, but she did put out some important locations to me, so that I was familiar. She made certain to show me the Equipment Rental building, the outdoor skating rink, Ski Patrol Headquarters, and equipment storage facilities. The walking tour took less than an hour and we were back at my truck outside of the offices. Alice suggested that we go inside to see my office before heading over to my cabin to unpack my belongings.

Mrs. Cope nodded kindly at us as we walked in and went back to her papers. Alice led me down the hall that she had entered from earlier in the day and led me past several doors, explaining who each person was and what their job was as we passed. I knew that I would never remember all of their names and job titles, but I would try hard to learn them as quickly as possible. At this point it was all so overwhelming that I was beginning to wonder what the heck I had gotten myself into!

As we approached the next door, Alice announced, "This is my office." We walked a few more feet and she motioned to the door next to her office and stated, "And here is your office!"

I walked into the room and stopped right inside the door. I was stunned at how beautiful and spacious the room was. There was a wall of windows behind a large wooden desk that overlooked the resort. On the desk sat a new lap top that would have made my old pc groan in shame. Not to mention the comfortable black leather chair that sat behind the desk just waiting for someone important to sit in it. I turned my stunned expression looking directly at Alice as she grinned at my reaction.

"Do you like it ?" she inquired with an knowing smirk on her perfect face.

"I-I-It's beautiful!" I stammered. "But are you sure that this is my office? I am only an assistant manager. This has to belong to someone far more important than me."

Alice just giggled at my statements. "Esme decorated it herself. I am sure it is for you", Alice answered matter of factly and there by ending the discussion.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor we continued down the hall to another door not far from my office. Alice knocked twice and then walked in without waiting for a reply. Behind the desk sat the most stunning woman I have ever seen. I kid you not. She was the epitome of a blond bombshell. As soon as we entered she looked up and a breathtaking smile crossed her face. It would have made angels weep.

"Well hello there, Alice. I see you still have no respect for my office space, so what brings you here this afternoon", the blond beauty said with a slight edge of annoyance to her voice, but then she smiled at Alice and stood up to hug her.

I realized that she was joking with Alice, but I made a mental note to not enter this office in the future without an invitation.

Alice greeted her with a bouncing hug and the turned to face me.

"Rose, I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our little crew. This is Bella Swan. She is the new assistant manager", Alice finished with a smile. "Bella, this is Rosalie Hale she is the General Manager here, as well as my brother's fiancée."

Wow! The Cullens really did have a family business going on here. I was even more grateful that I managed to land this job with no family connections.

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie," I said and stepped forward to shake her perfectly manicured hand.

She shook mine in return and greeted me politely, "It's nice to meet you, Bella. Esme has had nothing but wonderful things to say about you. We can meet tomorrow morning to start to go over everything. For now just get settled in and acclimated with the resort. I have a few calls to make and then I believe we are meeting for dinner in the lodge around seven."

Alice nodded in agreement. We all said our goodbyes and Alice and I walked back towards the front of the office, so that I could head over to my cabin and unpack.

***

I followed Alice's directions as we drove towards a group of log cabins that were on the one side of the resort's property. Alice was sitting in the passenger seat of my old truck, and she was explaining that these cabins were originally used for guests, but now they were staff housing for those that lived at the resort year round.

She pointed to a cabin that was just ahead and I pulled into the parking area in front of the cabin. It was very quaint looking and I was excited to have a look inside. This was technically my first home and it felt good to be able to say that.

Alice jumped out of the cab and bounced up the steps to the small front porch jingling the key in her hand.

"Here you do the honors, Bella!" she announced.

I took the keys from her excited grasp and opened the front door and stepped inside. For the second time today I was overwhelmed at my good fortune. The cabin was beautiful. There was a fireplace along the left wall and a small living room already furnished with a cozy looking couch and chair. Behind the living room was a kitchen that had the latest in appliances and granite countertops.

The best part though was the loft-style bedroom upstairs. It almost reminded me of Snow White. I didn't know whether I should jump around screaming or cry at my good fortune.

Alice just watched me with a smug look that said she knew how much I loved my place. I couldn't wait to curl up on the couch with a book and sit in front of the fire. This place was truly amazing!

After I regained my composure, Alice and I quickly unpacked my few possessions. At one point I saw Alice shaking her head at my clothes or lack thereof.

"Bella, we will definitely need to go shopping very soon. You don't have nearly enough clothes!" she announced with a tome of exasperation.

"Alice, that is not necessary, I can make do with what I have. I really am not a shopper," I tried to explain. Alice however was having none of that. I had a feeling that this would be a losing battle against Alice. Hopefully she would forget about it and it would never happen. A girl could dream right?

Alice waited downstairs for me to change for dinner with the rest of her family. She said that it was casual, so I threw on my nicest dark jeans and a soft blue sweater that was also comfortable. My hair as always was hopeless, so I left it down.

We drove back to the main lodge where we were meeting everyone else for dinner in the restaurant there. The restaurant was rustic in its décor, but still felt elegant. When we entered the hostess greeted Alice and pointed to the back of the dining room to a large table that had several people already seated and chatting with each other.

We made our way towards the table and as we approached a good looking man with blond hair stood and gave Alice a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. She then turned towards, me and said, "Bella, this is my husband Jasper."

I shook his outstretched hand and replied, "It's nice to meet you, Jasper."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Bella", he smiled warmly at me.

Then Alice introduced me to what had to be one of the most muscular men I had ever seen. He reminded me very much of a large teddy bear, "Bella, that beast next to Rosalie is my brother Emmett." She obviously held a great affection towards her big brother.

Emmett took me by surprise by instead of shaking my hand, he grabbed me into an enormous crushing hug that made me squeak in surprise.

Rosalie smacked his arm and told him to put me down before he scared away the newest employee. He just chuckled and said, "Welcome!"

After I regained my composure from Emmett's boisterous greeting, I turned to see a very handsome man standing next to Esme shaking his head at his son's overzealous greeting.

"I'm Carlisle. Although you have heard it several times already, it is nice to finally meet you. Anyone that captures my wife's attention like you did will be a great addition to our resort family", he said with a kind smile.

I blushed at his sincere words and quietly thanked him and Esme for the great opportunity. Then we all sat down to look over the menus.

"Where's Edward?" asked Alice.

"He had to finish up some items for the start of the season with the ski patrol. He should be here shortly", replied Esme.

I knew that Edward was one of the senior ski patrol and rescue team members at the resort along with Emmett and Jasper. Apparently with a resort this size, the ski patrol was fairly large and served to not only help injured skiers, but also to administer medical help when needed in rescue situations. The nearest hospital was at the base of the mountain, so the ski patrol was often needed to help people before they reached the local hospital.

The conversation flowed easily as I got to know more about each of them. It felt so comfortable that I was truly looking forward to working here with all of these amazing people.

I was just about to ask Alice a question when I heard the most amazing rich, velvet voice behind me.

"Sorry that I am late. You know how the start of the season gets with the young guys over at the ski patrol", the voice chuckled.

As I turned to see the person that was talking, I looked into the most vibrant green eyes I had ever seen. Once I managed to look past the intense gaze of his eyes, I realized that the rest of this man was astoundingly gorgeous. His hair was a messy bronze color that only served to highlight the handsomest face I had ever come across. I realized then that I was staring and looked down quickly, blushing a deep shade of red. What in the world was I doing? I had never ogled a man like that before. Hopefully no one noticed.

Alice took a quick glance at the two of us and smiled up at him, before quickly introducing me, "Edward this is Bella. The new assistant manager that Esme has been telling us about."

"It's nice to meet you, Bella". He smiled at me and held out his hand. I nodded having not yet found my voice and reached out to shake his hand. When our hands connected there was this strange sense of an electrical current running through my hand and arm.

When I looked up again at his face, I realized that he must have felt it, too. My heart skipped a beat at his next words, "I think this could be a very interesting season this year", he said in a low seductive tone before he released my hand and sat down to join us for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

AM: Here is the EPOV that was requested. You will know hear from both POVs as the story progresses.

Chapter 3

EPOV

I looked at my watch and was relieved that I was only slightly late for dinner with my family. The start of the season was always hectic and getting the new ski patrol members settled in and ready to start the season was always a daunting task. At least the group this year seemed like a good group of guys. I was looking forward to the new season and getting back on the slopes regularly. I truly enjoyed what I did and getting to do it with my family was an added bonus. I often counted my blessings that I got to do something that I loved and that my family was close by and we all enjoyed working together.

The air was turning cooler as I hurried to my car and hopped in to drive over to the lodge. I could have easily walked, but I didn't want to have to walk back after dinner. The temperatures would only be colder then. It definitely felt like snow was on its way in the near future. After a lifetime of living on the mountain you somehow learned to judge the weather better that the forecasters.

It only took me a few minutes to drive the short distance to the lodge and park my car. As I got out I realized that I had pulled in next to an old pickup truck.

Hurrying so that I wasn't any later than I already was, I pushed my way through the heavy glass doors and walked quickly towards the restaurant. As I approached the hostess stand, I groaned to myself to see Lauren smiling at me in a way that apparently she perceived as seductive but was more along the lines of creepy. She had worked here for the last two years and I avoided her as best I could and tried to be polite when the situation was unavoidable. This was one of those times unfortunately.

"Hello, Edward", she crooned and batted her eyes. Although it looked more like she had something stuck in her eye.

"Hello, Lauren Can you please tell me where my family is sitting tonight?" I asked as politely as I could muster.

"They're in the back at the large table. Do you want me to show you?" her tome was hopeful.

"No thank you", I replied as politely as I could and hurried away before she could say anything else. I hated being rude, but the girl couldn't get a hint! My parents had always raised me to be a gentleman, but a guy could only take so much!

I made my way towards the back of the dining area where I could see my family sitting and chatting with each other. As I got closer I realized that there was an extra person sitting at the table next to Alice. It was a woman, but all I could see from this distance was a heedful of long dark hair. I wondered who she was; maybe Alice had a friend visiting.

As I neared the table I offered up my apology for being late, "Sorry that I am late. You know how the start of the season gets with the young guys over at the ski patrol".

Just then the young woman sitting next to Alice turned and looked to see who had just spoken.

All of the sudden my brain was going in several directions at once trying to register everything that my senses were taking in. The woman now looking at me had the most beautiful, chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen. I could have gotten lost in them for days.

Once I managed to look past those deep brown depths, I realized that she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair that I originally thought of as brown was a rich mahogany color with highlights that were indescribable. Before I could continue my ogling her cheeks turned this adorable shade of pink as she blushed and looked away.

_Good one, Edward! _I thought to myself I didn't even know this woman's name and I already proved that I was a rude jackass! Hopefully she didn't think I had no manners whatsoever.

Thankfully Alice saved me by stepping in with an introduction, "Edward this is Bella. The new assistant manager that Esme has been telling us about." I vaguely remembered Esme mentioning something about a new assistant manger, but to be honest I wasn't really paying that close attention to what she had said. Boy was a kicking myself now!

Well I could at least prove I had been raised with proper manners and try to redeem myself, so I held out my hand towards her and said, "It's nice to meet you, Bella".

As soon as our hands connected the strangest sensation shot through my arm. It was not a tingling but more like a shocking sensation. I glanced at Bella to realize that she must have felt the same thing. Although she had yet to say anything, so I figured I might as well do myself in thoroughly and said in what I hoped was an alluring voice, "I think this could be a very interesting season this year" before dropping her hand and sitting down in the seat next to her.

After we had all ordered, conversations flowed easily as we all had information to share about the upcoming ski season. Everything was well in order as it always was at the resort. My parents took great pride in the family resort and we had all learned that value from them.

I was talking to Emmett about having to check some of the signs and gates out on the farthest parts of the property. When Alice popped into the conversation, "Edward, when did you plan on going to look at the signs?"

"Well, I really should do it this week sometime. I don't want it to go to long into the season before they are checked. Why?"

"Well, Bella has only seen the resort areas that are close by. She needs to go out with someone to see the other parts. If you are already going out maybe Bella could ride along?" remarked Alice with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

There were times when I wanted to throttle my meddlesome sister, but this time I wanted to kiss her. This would give me a chance to get to know more about Bella under the guise of work. I turned to Bella who incidentally was glaring at Alice, "So what do you think, Bella?"

"Sure. That would be fine as long as it won't interfere with what you need to do. I don't want to get in the way."

"It's not a problem at all." I replied with a smile at her. "It'll be nice to have the company."

Dinner continued on from there. Everyone enjoyed their meals and talked amongst each other. Occasionally I would catch Bella glancing at me before she would look the other way or hide behind her curtain of hair. I was certainly correct when I said that this was definitely going to be and interesting season.

BPOV

I could have killed Alice when she asked Edward to take me along on his trip around the resort. What was she thinking? She couldn't possibly be playing matchmaker could she? There was no way that would ever happen. First off, Edward and I were not even in the same league. He was gorgeous and I was, well me, plain boring old me. Secondly, there was no way I wanted to go down that road again anytime soon. James had done enough damage to last me for quite sometime thank you very much!

Of course Edward being a gentleman said that he would be glad if I came along, so I guess that's a done deal. Oh well, there is nothing I can do about it now. Although I did sneak a few glances in his direction to try and gauge if he was really opposed to the idea. He seemed quite calm and content so I figured he must look at it as one employee helping out another.

Dinner was great and it was nice to sit and chat with everyone in a relaxed setting. I knew that things would be getting really busy in the next few weeks, so spending time with everyone beforehand was really enjoyable. After we all said our goodbyes and Rosalie and I agreed to meet first thing tomorrow morning I walked out to my truck to head back to my cabin. The temperatures had dropped dramatically in the last few days and the wind was picking up. I hurried to my truck and jumped in. I put the key in the ignition, but the stupid thing wouldn't start.

That's just great I thought. It was one hell of a walk back to my cabin and it was really cold out there. I knew it was too late to find a mechanic so I pulled my jacket around me tighter and hopped out to start walking back to my cabin. As my feet hit the ground, they hit a small patch of ice and I waited for the impact but it never came. Instead I felt two hands grab at my waist just before I hit the ground.

I hurried to regain my balance and thank my savior. When I turned around I saw Edward looking at me with concern and amusement on his face.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I wish I could say that it was something that never happens, but I somehow was born with the ability to locate any possible obstacle that can interfere with a person's balance and grace, otherwise referred to as eternally clumsy. Thanks for catching me." I said in a rush before my brain had a chance to register that Edward was still standing so close to me. Did I not realize before how good he smelled?

He just gave me a crooked grin that would have melted the heart of any woman ages 1 to 101. How did he do that?

"Can I ask why you were jumping out of your truck? Did you forget something inside?"

"No. My lovely truck decided at this inopportune moment that it was going to be fickle and not start, so I was getting out walking back to my cabin. I figured it was too late to deal with at this point so I would deal with it in the morning."

"Bella, it has to be below thirty degrees out here. You can't walk to the cabins. You'll freeze!" Edward looked shocked that I would even consider it, but it wasn't like I could call a cab or anything.

"Come on I will give you a lift home, and don't even bother trying to argue. Esme and Alice would kill me of they found out I let you walk home in this cold weather. Please save me their wrath and let me drive you."

"Fine. I wouldn't want to give Alice any ammunition that is for sure. I imagine she can be quite fierce when she wants to be." I could easily see Alice laying into Edward even though he towered over her by more than a foot.

Edward just chuckled, "You have no idea!"

As it so happened, Edward was parked next to me, so he turned around and opened the passenger door for me to slide in. He quickly jogged around to the other side and hoped in.

"That is so unfair!"

"What is?" he asked looking puzzled at my statement.

"I can't get out of my truck onto a flat surface without almost falling on my ass and you just jog around and hop in your car without a problem! Life is so not fair!" I ranted.

Edward just laughed and threw his car into reverse and headed towards the cabins.

I told him which cabin was mine and we drove the short distance in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though. Edward pulled into the parking space in front of my cabin. I turned and thanked him for the ride and saving me from potentially nasty case of frostbite and hypothermia.

He just chuckled, "It really was not a problem, Bella."

Before I could open my door, he had jumped out of his seat and ran around to open my door for me.

"Thanks", I said.

"So how does Wednesday morning sound for your tour around the resort?" he asked.

"I think that will be okay. I will have to make sure that Rosalie doesn't have anything planned for me yet. I can let you know if it won't work out."

"That's fine. If I don't hear from you tomorrow then meet me at the Ski Patrol headquarters at 10:00 on Wednesday. Did Alice show you where that was?"

"Yes. I know where it is. I will see you there then. Thanks again for the ride. Good night, Edward."

I started to walk to my front door when Edward said, "Good night, Bella. Sweet dreams."

***

When I woke up the next morning I was surprised to see my truck sitting in its parking space outside my cabin. I wondered how that had happened. I guess I would figure that out later. I got dressed quickly and had a quick breakfast. I wanted to get to the offices a few minutes early to gather my bearings before meeting with Rosalie to start planning out my responsibilities and duties at the resort.

I wasn't sure if my truck was just towed to my cabin or if by some miracle it was fixed so I dressed in my warmest coat, hat and gloves just in case I had to walk and locked up the cabin.

When I got to my truck I saw a folded piece of paper on the seat with my name written on it. I opened the door and climbed to read the note. It really was frigid outside this morning. I was pleasantly surprised when I read the note, and wasn't sure what exactly to make of it.

_Bella-_

_I looked at your truck this morning. Somehow one of the cables came lose from the battery. All is fixed. Have a good first day at work!_

_Looking forward to Wednesday-_

_Edward_

I was so surprised that he did this and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Obviously he was a truly nice guy that was just trying to be a gentleman like I am sure Esme raised him to be. It certainly couldn't mean anything. Could it?

That being said I would definitely thank him next time I saw him. Even though I was not looking for a relationship, nothing is wrong with making friends especially when you have to work together. Right?

***

The next two days flew by as I started my new job. There was so much to learn, but I knew that I would really like what I was doing. Rose was a great help and even Alice offered up her advice and suggestions on several pieces of business. I was truly looking forward to the start of the season.

Before I knew it Wednesday morning was here. I dressed in my warmest clothes and boots. I figured that it would definitely be cold riding around the resort and fashion was not a high priority. I jumped in my truck and silently reminded myself to thank Edward for fixing my truck. I hadn't seen him in the last two days and to my surprise I found that to be disappointing. Oh well, I certainly didn't want to dwell on those thoughts right now.

I pulled up in front of the ski patrol headquarters right on time and walked to the front door. Although I had seen the building when I toured with Alice, I hadn't gone inside. I stepped up onto the little porch and opened the front door and stepped inside.

There was a guy about my age sitting at a desk looking through some papers. He looked up when I came in. A smile spread across his face as he stood up and walked towards me.

"Can I help you, beautiful?" he asked me in what he probably thought was a sexy voice.

"I am here to meet Edward Cullen. Could you please tell me where I could find him?" Hoping to quickly get rid of this guy and find Edward. He however had other ideas.

"Why would you want to find Cullen? I am certain I can help you with _anything_ you need", he replied suggestively.

I was getting ready to tell him exactly what I needed from him when I heard that amazing velvety voice from the doorway behind the creepy guy.

"Newton! Don't you have anything else to do besides annoy the new assistant manger", Edward finished his questioning as he stepped out of the doorway and glared at the man he had called Newton. Newton just glared back and before he stormed off looked at me with a wink, "Just come find me when you realize Cullen can't give you what you need."

Edward glared at his retreating back briefly before turning back to me with that crooked grin of his in full force. As if the grin was not powerful enough, adding that to Edward in his Ski Patrol uniform made it a force to be reckoned with.

"Just ignore him. The rest of the female population does. Good morning by the way. How were your first few days on the job?"

I smiled thinking back to the last two days, "It was great. I think I am really going to enjoy myself here. Rose and Alice are both great. Although I am not sure I can keep up with Alice's endless energy. How does she do it?"

Edward just chuckled. "I have no idea! She has always been like that. It certainly kept our parents on their toes."

Edward motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

"Sure. I am excited to see the rest of the resort."

I followed him out the door and around to the side of the building. Sitting in front of us was a very shiny black snowmobile. I had never ridden on one before and was honestly a little hesitant. My lack of balance and grace would certainly not help in this situation. Although I knew that this was the only way to see the rest of the resort. Edward must have sensed my reluctance because he smiled at me before handing me one of the helmets to put on.

He leaned towards me, his warm breath washing across my face, "Don't worry Bella; I won't let anything happen to you."

I took me several seconds to regain my thoughts before I hurried up putting the helmet on. Hopefully he didn't see the red blush covering every inch of my face.

Edward just quietly chuckled to himself before strapping on his own helmet and hopping on the snowmobile.

I took one more deep breath before climbing onto the snowmobile behind Edward and wrapping my arms around his waist. Even through his bulky jacket I could feel is taunt muscles. As he started the snowmobile, I had a funny feeling that this would be a very interesting day!

AN: I am not sure if people are liking this story or not. Should I keep going? Can I make it better? Let me know what you think,


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Chapter 4

EPOV

I chuckled at Bella's obvious reluctance about getting on the snowmobile. I had already witnessed her less than stellar balance, but I also knew that nothing would happen to her. I had been looking forward to this for the last two days. I hadn't been this interested in a woman in…well ever. There was just something about her that drew me close whenever she was near me. I was hoping that today would give us a chance to spend some time together and help me gauge where I wanted to go with my erratic feelings.

That being said, I could honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed having Bella's arms wrapped around my waist as we started up the ski slope to the back half of the resort area.

It was truly a beautiful day outside. Several inches of snow had fallen over night leaving a fresh white blanket over the ground. It also was one of those snows that clung to the tree branches and created a very winter wonderland type of atmosphere.

I had always thought that the resort and surrounding areas was one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I was anxious to share that with Bella and see what her thoughts were.

The snowmobile moved quickly up the edge of the slope, as I made sure to avoid the few skiers that were enjoying the early season snowfall. I was looking forward to the start of the season and getting to go out on the slopes on a regular basis. The thrill of flying down the slopes and jumping the moguls was something that I had yet to tire of in the past twenty some years. I quickly wondered if Bella would consider giving skiing a try, although knowing her thoughts about her balance I realized that it would probably take some convincing. That thought made me smile to myself because convincing Bella held serious potential!

I slowed the snowmobile as we neared the top of the slope and turned down a smaller path to the left that led to one of the areas I needed to check on today. The resort was quite large for the area, but there were still portions that were not accessible to the guests. Safety was of the highest priority to my family and we were always diligent about making sure that our guests enjoyed themselves, but weren't allowed to take unnecessary risks.

I steered the snowmobile down the trail until I reached the blue metal gate that stood between two large pine trees. I pulled the snowmobile up to the gate and glided it to a stop before turning off the engine. Bella let go of her hold from around my waist. I was surprised at the sense of loss that I felt when she was no longer touching me.

We both took off our helmets and sat them on the snowmobile. My breath caught when Bella shook out her hair after taking off her helmet. The sun made all the natural highlights in her hair that much stronger. She truly was a beautiful woman.

"Wow! That was exhilarating, Edward! I was definitely nervous to get on that thing, but I have to say that I loved it." Bella's face was all flushed and her eyes shone with her excitement from the ride.

"I'm glad you liked it. I just have to make sure that the gate and sign is secure then we can see more of the resort. What did you think so far?" I asked as I walked over to make sure that the metal gate was still securely locked and the sign was easily visible.

"Oh, it's so beautiful! I mean I already thought that from the part I saw with Alice, but actually seeing the natural beauty is something else. I can see why your family loves it here."

"I can agree. There are many beautiful things to look at here." I looked directly at her when I said this and hoped she understood that I was talking about more than the landscape. Her answering blush gave me the answer that I needed. I wanted so badly to tell her directly that I thought she was gorgeous, but something about her demeanor held me back. I guess I would have to bide my time, and as I was a very patient man I could wait.

"I know this must seem like a ridiculous question, but why is there a gate blocking the entrance to the rest of the trail?" Bella inquired with a questioning look on her face.

"That's not a ridiculous question. The trail leads to the farthest points of the property but because of the landscape and slope of the land on that particular section, avalanches are more likely to occur over there. As a precaution we decided to just not allow guests to go past this point. It's more of a precaution than anything else. There hasn't been a major avalanche here in decades. Small ones occur from time to time but nothing destructive or dangerous." I explained.

Being in the ski patrol for many years I had heard the horror stories of the devastation that avalanches could cause, but luckily the resort had a fantastic safety record and had yet to encounter one in our rescues.

"Wow! I'm glad that there have never been any major ones here, but it's good to know to stay away from that area." Bella replied with a mildly concerned expression.

"For the most part the guests are great about heeding the warnings that are posted. Occasionally there will be some hot shot that wants to try out the untouched powder on the other side, but we have been fortunate that they have never been in harm's way."

After I made sure all was in order we hopped back onto the snowmobile so that I could check the remaining areas. I was very peaceful to ride through the back areas of the resort with Bella sitting behind me on the snowmobile.

After checking the last gated area, I drove Bella to one of the warming huts on the farther side of the slopes. We had been out on the snowmobile for almost two hours and although it wasn't freezing out, the temperatures were still cold.

"Where are we?" Bella asked looking at the small wooden building in front of us.

I explained that there were several warming huts on the slopes for skiers and snowboarders to stop in and warm up before continuing on heir way. One could step in and just warm up or grab something hot to drink if they wanted to.

We stepped inside the little rustic building and Bella looked around in surprise. "So, what do you think?' I asked.

"It's so quaint. It goes well with the rest of the resort"

There wasn't a lot in the little huts, but there was enough to make them cozy and comfortable. In the corner was a small wood burning stove with several chairs and benches surrounding it. Along the far wall was a large picture window that looked over the slopes and tree line. Under the window was hot chocolate and coffee to help warm up the weary skiers. I grabbed two cups of hot chocolate and headed over to the wooden bench in front of the fire that Bella was sitting on.

"Thanks, Edward."

"You're quite welcome. Were you getting cold on the snowmobile?" I inquired.

"No it was actually not that bad. I guess sitting behind the driver has its advantages." She added with a smirk on her beautiful face.

"Don't worry, being the driver has its advantages too" I smirked back at her. Much to my delight her telltale blush spread across her cheeks.

After that we sat and talked about random things for the next half hour or so. It was so easy to talk to Bella that the time really flew by. I looked out the window to see the sun starting to descend and realized that we still needed to see a few more places and get back to the main area before it got too cold or dark.

Bella must have sensed my thoughts because she stood up and stretched, "I guess we'd better get going before we are stuck camping out here."

Now that had some appeal but I knew better than to push her. Something just told me that Bella would not fall for something like that, and to be honest that wasn't really my style. I was really starting to like Bella more than I had anyone in a long time, if ever, and I wanted to do this the right way. So we put all our winter gear back on and headed back out to the snowmobile. Bella seemed almost at ease hopping on to the back and wrapping her arms around my waist. I wanted to do this right, but if I was truthful with myself I really liked having Bella that close to me. I didn't want to let her go.

We rode along the upper portion of the resort and down the far side towards the main resort area. Along the way we passed the snowboarder's half pipe, the tubing area, and the ice skating rink. Everything was in great shape to start the season. I knew my parents would be pleased to hear that all was well. As we neared the ski patrol building an idea started rolling around in my head. I wasn't sure exactly how to go about it, but I knew that I had to give it a try. My heart was overruling my head at this point.

BPOV

The day with Edward touring the resort had been great. I really loved seeing the resort from all perspectives. I had learned quite a bit too. Due to my complete lack of athletic prowess I had never really participated in any of the activities the resort had to offer, so seeing them firsthand was exciting. Although I definitely had no future plans to try any of these activities. I knew my limitations and a broken neck was not high on my list of priorities.

I'll admit that at first I was a little nervous about spending the day alone with Edward especially after I felt that tingling sensation when I wrapped my arms around his waist on the snowmobile, but surprisingly it was very relaxing and comfortable. I almost felt disappointed to see the day end when Edward pulled the snowmobile beside the ski patrol building. Again I had to remind myself that we were just coworkers and possibly now friends, nothing more,

Edward turned off the engine and I climbed off the back taking off the helmet and setting it down on the seat. Edward did the same with his and turned towards me with that knee weakening crooked smile of his. Boy he could be considered a danger to women and not in a bad way either! Even after a day of wearing a helmet and riding around the resort he was still a heartbreakingly gorgeous!

As we walked in silence to the front of the building where my truck was parked, Edward seemed to be lost in thought for the moment so I just walked beside him considering my plans for the next few days. The resort was due for its official start that weekend and there were a lot of last minute preparations to be done.

When we reached my truck, I thanked Edward for the tour.

"Bella, it was my pleasure. I was glad for the company. Usually I do those trips on my own. It was much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to."

His smile was genuine and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

We were standing by my truck when he asked, "What are you plans for tonight by the way?"

I immediately tensed when he said this. He couldn't be asking me out could he? I really didn't think I was capable of going on a date. There were too many wounds still not healed from James.

Edward must have sensed my tension because he quickly added, "I am meeting Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett for drinks to blow off a little steam before the season starts. I thought maybe you would like to join us."

"Oh…well.. I guess that would be fine. I don't want to intrude on family time though."

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. I know Alice will love it if you come with us. What do you say?"

I quickly thought this over in my head. I was so panicked at first that I felt rather ridiculous right now thinking he was asking me out. Like someone like Edward Cullen would even think of going out with me. Please! At least I could relax and breathe now. It was just a friendly invite to hang out with his siblings.

_Overreact much, Bella!_

"Sure, Edward that sounds like fun. What time?"

***

When I got back to my cabin, I got a quick shower and dressed to meet the rest of the Cullens. I dressed in my favorite dark jeans and long sleeve gray sweater. It had been forever since I had met friends to have drinks. After the incident with James I had avoided most social situations. We had so many mutual friends that I was afraid of running into him or hearing about him from our friends, avoidance seemed to be the best solution. I just wanted to close that chapter of my life for good and move forward.

***

I parked my truck outside the entrance to the lodge. We were all meeting there to have drinks at the bar that was attached to the restaurant. Although it was part of the restaurant it had its own seating area. I made my way through the tables and saw everyone already there.

They were seated at a large circular booth in the corner. They were all laughing at something Emmett had just said. Alice saw me walking their way and waved me over.

"Hey Bella! How was the tour today? Did Eddie here show you a good time?" Emmet asked as he wiggled his eye brows at me. He really was a goofball!

"The tour was great, Emmett. Thanks for asking." I replied purposely ignoring is other comment.

Edward leaned over and punched Emmett in the shoulder and growled at him. "How many times have I told you to not call me Eddie! My name is Edward you idiot!"

Emmett just shrugged and grinned at his brother. You could tell that they were best friends and loved to torment each other. I had often wondered what it would have been like to have siblings. The Cullens were so close as a family that it made me wish I had that same connection with someone.

Edward scooted over in the booth so that I could sit down. Alice was on his other side. Next to her was Jasper, then Emmett with Rosalie. The waitress came over and took my drink order because everyone else already theirs.

Alice kept shooting me looks from around Edward's head that I knew meant she wanted to talk to me about something. I had a funny feeling that whatever it was had to do with Edward. Even though I had only known Alice a short while, I knew that whatever she had set in her mind was a done deal and that there would be little I could do to change her thoughts. I was not looking forward to that conversation.

We all chatted with each other for awhile catching up on the last few days since we had seen each other at dinner earlier in the week. Everyone was excited about the start of the season and getting a chance to hit the slopes to either ski or snowboard. I listened to their discussions about snow type, getting their skis waxed, buying new bindings, other things that made absolutely no sense to me, but it was nice just to be a part of a group again.

"Sorry, Bella we must be boring you to tears." Alice said in my direction. "I know that you don't ski maybe you can take lessons though so you can join us sometime."

"Alice, I don't think that is the best idea. I can barely manage on a flat stable surface without incident, let alone strapping things to my feet and hurtling down an icy hill!"

Everyone chuckled at that, but Alice was not to be deterred.

"Edward why don't you teach Bella? You used to be the best instructor at the resort before you joined the ski patrol." Alice said with insistence.

I could feel the blush spreading across my face. Just thinking about Edward teaching me how to ski and that fact that we would probably have to touch made we feel unsettled, but not necessarily in a bad way. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice giving Edward a look and then nodding her head in my direction. What in the world was she up to? Edward just glared back at her as if to say we will talk later before looking at me and smiling.

"Bella, I would be happy to teach you how to ski. I promise that no harm will come to you." The look in his eyes was so intense that I had to look away.

"Edward you must have a death wish." I replied but going against all of my previous thoughts I found my self wanting to spend more time with him. I was truly torn between what I knew I should do and what I wanted to do.

"I must be losing it!"I sighed. "Alright, Edward I will give it a try. I hope you are as good as Alice says you are because I am definitely going to be your worst student ever!"

"Oh don't worry Bella, I am even better than she thinks!" he smirked and Alice just rolled her eyes. Now I really was blushing a bright red. I couldn't believe I had gotten myself into this mess.

After a little while the guys went to play a game of pool on the other side of the bar. Rose went along to help referee and basically to keep Emmett in line. Leaving Alice and me in the booth to catch up and chat. We talked about al the upcoming events at the resort and what we were both looking forward to for the new season upon us. Alice of course couldn't wait for the big events that were tradition at the resort like the Christmas Eve party and New Years Eve ball.

As we were talking I couldn't help but glance over at the pool tables to see what the others were doing. At least that's what I told myself so that I could sneak a peek at Edward. Each time I looked I was not disappointed. Edward leaving over a pool table with a look of deep concentration on his face was breathtaking. I really needed to rein myself in! I took a quick drink to try and regain my thoughts.

"So what exactly is going on with you and my brother?" Alice asked with a mischievous look on her face.

"Uh…whtat are talking about Alice? We are just friends." I replied without making eye contact with Alice because it didn't even sound convincing to my own ears. I feared that she would see exactly how I felt about her brother and that was not what I needed right now. I was still too confused to even have it figured out for myself let alone to discuss it with his sister.

"Bullshit Bella, don't play with me. I am not stupid. I see how you look at each other. I just want to know when you guys are going to get it together and actually quit playing games!"

"Alice it is really not that simple."

"Now that is ridiculous. If you like each other then that is all there is to it." Alice stated matter of fatly looking quite sure of herself as always.

I blew out a deep breath. How in the world could I make her understand my situation without telling her about my past? It was something that no one really knew the whole story about and I didn't know if I could talk about it, but looking at Alice's determined face I knew that I really had no choice in the matter. She wasn't going to let up until I gave her a really good reason not to. Unfortunately for me I had a really good reason.

James.

"Alice I think I need to explain a few things about my past. I haven't told the whole story to anyone but if you are willing to listen then I will share it with you. Then maybe you can understand where I am coming from."

Alice just nodded looking curious and a little concerned but didn't say anything.

I took a big drink from my glance and a deep breath before launching into the story that I had never told anyone before.

When I was done Alice just sat there looking stunned and upset, but before I could say anything she grabbed me in a fierce hug.

"Bella that is awful! I am so sorry that it happened to you."

I just nodded because for so long I was afraid if I told people that they would find me at fault or less of a person, and it was overwhelming to me that Alice wanted to comfort me.

Then Alice pulled back and looked me in the face with a stern expression on her face, "Now Bella you need to hear what I have to say. What happened is awful and that loser was a complete asshole, but he is not every guy. There are plenty of great guys out there and my brother is one of them. Edward would never hurt you. I really hope that you will give him a chance. I haven't seen him this way around a woman…well ever. Please think about it."

I just nodded in agreement. I was to afraid that if I tried to say anything that I would break down.

"Why don't you go take a minute in the restroom and I'll go round up the others." Alice suggested.

"Alright." my voice coming out shaky and I got up after Alice hugged me one more time.

In the bathroom I splashed water on my face and took some deep breaths. As much as I hated telling my story, there was something therapeutic about finally not being alone with the knowledge.

When I got back to the booth Alice was gone, but Edward was standing there waiting for me. He smiled at me with that damn crooked grin and I couldn't help but smile back. It was infectious!

"The others went to warm up there cars, but I said I would wait for you to let you know." He said.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"Would it surprise you if I said I wanted to?" he questioned looking right into my eyes.

Damn! How did he do that? All he had to do was look at me and I was blushing and at a loss for words.

Before I could answer he leaned closer to me so that I could feel the heat from his body on mine. My heart started to pound but in a completely good way.

"Bella, there is another reason why I wanted to wait for you."

Somehow I found my voice so I could reply, "There is?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask if you would have dinner with me tomorrow, not as friends but as a date. "

If he had asked me 2 hours ago I would have refused him, but Alice's words were ringing in my head. Could I really do this? Could I place my trust in another man?

For once my heart won the battle over my head.

"I would really like that, Edward." I replied with a shy smile on my face and a lot of hope in my heart.

**AN: Thank you for those who reviewed. It really does make all the difference! For those that are wondering about Bella's past with James it will be told but not until later. Next the date and someone from Edward's past makes an appearance.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: Thanks to all of those who took the time to review. It's great to hear what people are thinking.

Chapter 5

EPOV

"Dude would you quit staring at Bella and shoot already!" Emmett barked at me.

"Sorry man." I replied and quickly made my shot on the pool table in front of us. I was hoping to avoid the comments regarding Bella. I knew my brother well and he had the habit of having no tact and saying exactly what was on his mind no matter how uncomfortable it made other people feel.

"Edward what the hell are you messing around for? Just ask her out already. I have never seen you like this around a woman before. What's the deal?" Emmett demanded.

"As much as it pains me to say this, I have to agree with Emmett on this one. Why not just ask her to dinner or something. It's obvious she is interested, too", offered Jasper with a grimace in Emmett's direction as he made a rude gesture with the pool stick.

I let out a deep breath and shrugged my shoulders at them thankful that Rose had gone to talk to someone and wasn't part of this discussion. I am sure she would have her own opinion to add.

"I'm not going to lie to you guys. I am definitely interested, but I am not sure about how Bella will take it. We had a blast touring the resort today, but I just get the feeling that she sees me as only a friend. I don't want to push her or freak her out."

"Don't be such a baby. What can it hurt? You can't really have that much of an ego to be worried about rejection from one woman!" Emmett argued.

"Don't be an ass, Em. It's not like that. I just think I could really like her and I want to do this right. I don't want to rush onto anything if it might spook her" I told him, now getting frustrated.

I had seen how Bella tensed up when I asked what her plans were tonight and it confirmed for me that I had to take it slow. I didn't want to scare her off. When I had asked about her plans, my plan wasn't to ask her out. Instead I thought that going out with all of us would be a good compromise. I could spend time with her without making it a date.

"Damn Edward, you really do like her!" Jasper said with a slightly shocked look on his face.

I just nodded at him. It wasn't like I had never dated before. It was just that none of those women were really serious. It was fun while they lasted but I can't say I was heartbroken when they were over either. Somehow I knew that dating Bella would be different. It would be serious from the first date and it would break my heart if it ended. That was a lot to face and accept for me. These types of feelings were definitely uncharted waters.

"Look it, you'll never know unless you try. What if your reluctance leads her to going out with someone else? Could you live with that?" Emmett asked with a knowing smirk.

I just growled in response. I hated it when Emmett was right. I wouldn't be able to sit back while Bella went out with someone else. The thought alone made my blood boil!

I looked over at the booth and saw Bella getting up and heading to the bathroom leaving Alice sitting by herself.

Emmett must have noticed the same thing because he pushed my shoulder and said, "Why don't you go over now and just do it. If not maybe I could suggest another guy to her as a date!"

"Emmett you'd better step back!" I growled.

He of course just laughed like an ass and walked around the pool table before I could slug him.

"Fine." Was all I said before walking away towards Alice wondering what the hell I had just agreed to.

Alice scooted over as I reached the booth to make room for me to slide in next to her, so I sat down and took a quick sip of my drink trying to calm my now overactive nerves.

"You look a little off Edward. Can I offer you some advice?" Alice questioned cocking her head to the side looking at me with serious gaze.

I just nodded because it was easier to agree than argue when Alice was involved. Besides she didn't know where my thoughts were so what harm was there, right?

"You should just ask her Edward. She likes you, trust me. She just doesn't have it all figured out yet, but she will. I know what I am talking about." Alice stated with such conviction that I was truly startled at what she was saying. How in the world did she know what I was thinking?

"And before you start questioning how I know, just trust me I know! You two were meant to be together." I just stared at her with my mouth agape. I hated when Alice caught me off guard with her uncanny perceptions of people. It was a liittle unnerving but usually accurate.

Before I could say anything else, Alice slid out of the other side of the booth telling me that they were going to go and to say good bye to Bella for her.

I sat there for a few moments trying to gather my thoughts before I saw Bella coming out of the bathroom. I quickly stood up to wait for her and wondered if I could really do this.

"The others went to warm up there cars, but I said I would wait for you to let you know." I said.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that." She replied blushing slightly. God did that blush look good on her! Well here goes nothing. If I was potentially going to make an ass of myself, I may as well do it thoroughly!

"Would it surprise you if I said I wanted to?" I asked her trying to gauge her reaction.

She blushed deeper than before, so I took advantage and leaned closer to her inhaling her beautiful scent trying to gain the nerve to ask the question that I had wanted to ask her since I had met her.

"Bella, there is another reason why I wanted to wait for you." I began.

"There is?" she whispered looking at me under those thick lashes. She had no idea the effect she had on me. No one had ever captivated me in this way before.

Taking another deep breath I plunged forward looking right in her deep brown eyes so I could see her reaction to my question. "Yes. I wanted to ask if you would have dinner with me tomorrow, like a date. "

I could see emotions rolling past her eyes, but none that were clear to me. Then I heard the words that made my heart soar.

"I would really like that, Edward." She answered in one quick breath and all I could do was grin at her. She had said YES! I couldn't believe it.

Trying to gather my thoughts after hearing her say yes, I offered to walk her to her car. She agreed and we walked in silence out to the parking area. I had parked on the other side of the lot, so I walked her to the driver's side of her ancient truck first, placing my hand on the small of her back as we walked so I had some kind of contact with her.

When we reached her truck she pulled out her keys and looked at me with those beautiful deep, brown eyes, "Thanks for walking me to my truck, Edward."

"It was truly my pleasure, Bella" I replied.

"I will pick you up tomorrow at 6:30 for dinner. Just dress casual okay." I knew where I wanted to take Bella and I hoped she would be okay with it. She was not the kind of woman that needed expensive food and high priced wine lists. I figured making her comfortable was the best choice.

She nodded and blushed again looking down at her feet. I couldn't help myself, so I gently brushed my fingers against her heated cheekbone and whispered, "Bella you are so beautiful when you blush."

This of course made her blush a deep red, so I figured I'd better quit while I was ahead.

Lowering my hand I whispered in her ear, "I can't wait until our date, have a good night." Before turning and walking towards my car. I heard Bella take a deep breath before climbing into her truck and driving away.

I was grinning to myself reliving the events of the evening as I approached my car. The weather was definitely getting colder each day, so I ducked my head against the wind and hurried to fish the keys out of my pocket. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't see the person leaning against my driver's side until I was almost on top of them.

"Well hello there Edward. It has been too long. I've missed you." the voice purred seductively.

I knew who that voice belonged to even before I looked up, and I wasn't pleased that she was here.

"Tanya." I greeted not even looking at her. I wasn't even going to go there. This was a place in my past that I wish had never happened. Call it a mistake, call it stupid, but all I wanted to do was call it over and done with.

"Now Eddie don't be like that. I thought we could get together for old times sake," she leaned towards me and ran her hand down my chest.

"Tanya that is not going to happen. I made myself perfectly clear last year that we were not going to be together ever again. I thought you understood what I was saying."

I was trying my best to not lose my temper but dealing with Tanya was a challenge for even my patience. When Tanya got something in her head that she wanted there was little she wouldn't do to get it. I had no desire to have Tanya causing me problems now that I finally got Bella to give me a chance.

"Awww, don't be like that Eddie. You know that we had fun together. You can't tell me that you haven't thought about me over the last year", her voice dripping with sex.

"Well to be honest Tanya, I have thought about you", I replied as she smiled at my admission.

"I thought a lot about what a mistake it was and how I wished it had never happened. And my name is Edward not Eddie!" I spat at her.

With that being said, I opened the car door and hopped in shutting it loudly in her face. Tanya just stood there with a look of shock and rage on her face and her hands balled into fists at her side. I knew that no one turned Tanya down and that this was probably going to come back and bite me in the ass, but I couldn't take her shit anymore, I had had enough.

***

BPOV

It was 5:30 and my bedroom looked like a bargain basement sale at a department store. My clothes were tossed over every surface imaginable, and I was standing there in my bra and underwear. As each minute ticked closer to 6:30 and Edward's arrival, my nerves went a little crazier. What had I been thinking to agree to this? Edward was so far out of my league it wasn't even funny. It was like a Little League pitcher playing in the majors!

I had no idea what to wear because I wasn't sure what we were doing. I wished now that I had asked Alice for help me with this. I hadn't wanted to bother her or make a big deal out of this date with Edward. I was trying to follow her advice and try trusting a guy again, but it was a little weird doing the girl talk thing because the guy was her brother.

Just as I was about to hit melt down mode, I heard a knock at the door and voice holler, "Bella let me in. I'm here to save your sorry ass!"

_Alice_.

I threw on my robe and hurried to the door, of course stumbling twice in the process and threw open the door.

There stood Alice with a shopping bag in her hands and a grin on her face. All I could do was throw my arms around her and thank her over and over again.

Alice giggled before pushing me away. "Enough undying gratitude. Let's get you ready for this date!"

She walked past me and up the stairs to my room before letting out a low whistle at the mess I had made.

"Well I see I was just in the knick of time now wasn't I?"

"Alice, how did you know?" I asked not even caring what she thought of my disaster area.

"Bella, I just know these things. Not go put this stuff on and I will wait here. I hope it all fits. I guessed at your sizes but I am rarely ever wrong."

I grabbed the bag and went to the bathroom to change. I was a little skeptical to see what Alice may have chosen for me, but at this point I was so desperate I would have worn anything she had chosen for me.

As it turns out, I loved the outfit she had picked. It was a pair of black skinny jeans that fit me in all the right places but didn't make me uncomfortable and a deep purple top that was pretty but still casual. I threw on the black ballet flats at the bottom of the bag and was quite pleased with how I looked, casual but still pretty.

When I walked back into the bedroom to show Alice the outfit, she wasn't there. I was starting to wonder if she had left, then I heard something in my closet.

"Alice?"

"In here, Bella", came her muffled voice from my closet.

_What was she doing in there?_

Before I could ask, she stepped out holding several pieces of clothing in her arms with a look of dissatisfaction on her face.

"Bella we really need to update your wardrobe. These things have been out of style for decades!" she exclaimed, shaking the offensive items at me.

I just chuckled, "Alice I had to be careful with my money in college. Fashion was not a priority to me. Food was."

"Well that will have to change. We have to go shopping soon. This just won't do!" she stated in complete exasperation.

"Okay Alice we'll make a plan soon." I thought it was better to placate her than argue. Although a day shopping with Alice made me wary to say the least.

After looking me over and giving her approval, Alice quickly scooted out the door not wanting to be there when Edward arrived. Although I greatly appreciated her help, I was glad that I was alone when I heard the knock on the door for the second time that night.

I took two deep breaths before I walked to the front door and opened it. Even though I had taken the deep breaths I still felt my heart race to see Edward standing there in all his glorious perfection. I still hadn't wrapped my mind around the idea that Edward wanted to go out on a date with me.

"Good evening, Bella. You look beautiful", he greeted me with that grin I don't think I will ever become immune to.

"Hello, Edward." I whispered back. I wanted to say more but my brain was not coming up with anything at the moment, so I just stepped aside to let him in and shut the door behind him.

"Let me just grab my coat and we can go." I told him walking towards my coat that was lying across the back of my coach. Edward just looked around the cabin taking everything in.

I threw on my coat and we headed out to his car. Always the gentleman he held the door open for me before walking around and sliding into the driver's side.

"So where are we off to?" I asked. I still had no clue what the plans were for the evening. Not that I cared much, but I wasn't the hugest fan when it came to surprises.

At my question a look of concern briefly crossed Edward's face before going back to a neutral expression as he started to answer my question.

"I though that we could have dinner at my place. I hope that you are okay with that. I really wanted to spend a quiet evening together and the restaurants around here will be mobbed with the start of the season. If it's not okay with you we can go some place else." He finished in a quick breath looking concerned and unsure of what I might say.

"Actually that sounds great. I am not one to thrive in large crowds and quiet evening sounds good." I replied smiling at him in hopes of relieving his obvious concern. It must have worked because his jaw relaxed and he smiled back.

To be honest I really was comfortable around Edward. I was surprised to find that I was curious and a little excited to see where Edward lived, and I wanted to learn more about him.

Before I knew it we were turning off the main road that ran in front of the main resort areas onto a smaller road lined on both sides by tall trees. The sun was setting and the remaining sunlight filtered delicately through the trees.

"Wow, Edward. This is beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so. I just love everything about this place. I guess that is another reason I wanted to show you where I live. You really appreciate the beauty of the resort, and I wanted you to see the other part of my life here." He spoke before smiling at me.

It made me feel good that he wanted to share this part of his life with me. I was about to thank him when the trees on either side of the road ended and opened into a clearing of sorts, and I lost my train of thought as I looked out the window.

In the middle of the clearing stood a beautiful wood and glass A-frame style house. Although the style was common for ski resorts, this one was exceptionally stunning. The entire front of the house was glass with a few wooden accents. The edge of the clearing was still lined with the trees and bushes that were originally part of the land. Apparently only enough land had been cleared to create the clearing and build the home. It was truly stunning.

"Edward! It's…magnificent! This is where you live?" I asked incredulously.

Edward just grinned, obviously enjoying my reaction. I don't know how anyone could react differently.

"Yep. This is home. Each of us was given a few acres from Esme and Carlisle when we decidd to live on the resort. Although we each were able to decide on the type of home and location that best suited our individual tastes. I will have to show the others to you some time. They are all unique and really reflect our own personalities. Mine of course is the best!" he gloated, smiling at me as we parked the car in the front of the house.

Once again he opened the door for me and held out his hand to help me out of the car. Instead of dropping my hand when I was out of the car though, he held onto it and led me to the door of his home. I was amazed at how nice it felt to hold Edward's hand. It felt natural and safe.

We walked into his house, and Edward took my coat and hung it on the wood and brass coat tree by the door. I was speechless as I looked around at Edward's house. The exterior did not prepare me for the interior at all. I just looked around with amazement.

The downstairs had a very open type of floor plan. The living area was decorated in rustic but elegant pieces that looked very comfortable but chic at the same time. There were large cushy chairs and a plush brown suede couch that faced the far wall. The floors were hardwood but covered with plush rugs that just begged for you to slip off your shoes and sink your toes into them.

The wall that the couch faced was a floor to ceiling stone fireplace that went straight through to the second floor of the house. To the right of the fireplace were the stairs that led up to the loft style second floor.

The kitchen was not a separate room, but instead sat back under the overhang of the upstairs loft and was separated from the living area by a long granite countertop.

"Edward, I think I am starting to sound like a redundant idiot, but this is so incredible!"

"Do you really like it?" he questioned a look of relief crossing his face at my announcement.

"Are you crazy! I can't imagine a house more suited to you than this place."

Edward let out a sigh of relief and smiled at me.

"Well it really does fit me well. It was exactly what I wanted when I decided to build my own house here. I wanted something comfortable and relaxing. I didn't need a huge house for just me and this seemed a perfect fit."

I nodded in agreement because it really was a perfect match for Edward. He left me to wander around the living room while he checked on dinner.

I walked over to the mantle above the fireplace to look at the collection of photos he had there. They were all of his family, some when they were younger and others more recent. My favorite was the one of all of them as kids having a snowball fight behind some makeshift forts. They were all laughing like crazy and you could see how connected they all were even then.

I turned when I heard Edward approaching me and smiled at him.

"You guys must have loved growing up here! It's a kid's fantasy come true."

He grinned at me and handed me a glass of wine. "It really was great. I mean a lot of people probably think we exaggerated how fabulous our childhood was, but it was really like that. I guess that's why we are all still here. Although I think Emmett stayed as much for the snowball fights as he did for nostalgia!"

I laughed at that because I could already tell that Emmett was really just a big kid deep down inside. We chatted a little more about the other pictures and then we decided we'd better eat.

The food was delicious and the conversation flowed easily from one topic to the next ranging from our college days to our childhoods. I told Edward about my parents, Charlie and Renee, and how they still lived in the house I grew up in several hours outside of Seattle. I told him that I talked to them often, but that we didn't visit frequently because of Charlie's job as a police chief didn't allow for much vacation time.

He told me lots of stories about the antics that they had gotten into as children, especially Emmett and how his parents were supportive of all of their dreams and ambitions. Before I knew it we had eaten everything and had polished off the dessert as well.

I helped Edward clean up the dishes and kitchen area. It was comfortable and easy just being together in the kitchen working around each other. After all was cleaned up we decided to go into the living room to talk some more. I was surprised at my comfort level around Edward, but as the night continued I started to question my feelings on where I wanted this to go. I really wanted to let the past go, but I just couldn't completely remove myself from it. For now I decided to just enjoy the moment and cross that bridge if need be.

I started to realize how late it was getting after Edward and I had been sitting there talking for quite awhile and the fire in the fireplace was nothing but hot coals.

I honestly didn't want to leave, but we both had to work tomorrow morning, so it was inevitable. He must have realized the same thing at the same time that I did because he looked at his watch and frowned slightly.

"Wow. I didn't realize it was so late. I guess we should call it a night", he said but the reluctance he felt was obvious making my stomach jolt a little to realize that his reluctance was caused by wanting to spend more time with me.

"I guess you're right." I agreed standing up and stretching a little before walking with him over to grab my coat off the rack by the door.

Edward stopped before opening the door and looked at me as if he wanted to say something, but he was obviously having an internal debate about it. I just waited knowing that if he wanted to say it he would. I was not one to push. There were many times when I preferred keeping my thoughts to myself and appreciated the space others gave me.

Edward then reached out and grabbed my hand looking at my face for a moment before taking a deep breath and speaking in a low husky voice.

"Bella, I really enjoyed spending time with you tonight. Being around you makes me so comfortable and happy. I don't want to scare you off and sound overbearing, but I wanted you to know that. I would really like to spend more time with you again soon, a lot of time if I am being honest."

His eyes never left mine as he finished sharing his thoughts with me. I was stunned. I didn't expect that to be what he was thinking about. Edward wanted to spend time with me. For the life of me I could figure out why. He could be with anyone, why in the world we he choose me. It really made no sense.

The other question was how did I feel about this? Was I really able to offer someone anything other friendship? Were the wounds even close to being healed? It was a lot to consider and I couldn't do that right now with Edward waiting for me to say something. He had been honest with me and it would only be fair to do the same.

"I really enjoyed tonight too, Edward. I felt the same things you did, comfortable, happy, and…safe. I want to be completely honest with you though. I would like to spend more time with you, but I need to take it slow for my own reasons. Are you okay with that for now? Can we take it slow?"

I knew that whatever Edward said I would accept. I wanted him to agree, but I knew that not giving him the whole story was not exactly fair either. Maybe in time I could share it with him, just not yet.

It was my turn to wait and see how my words were received.

O was relieved to see a smile spread across his face before he spoke. "Bella, I will take time with you in any form you give it. We can go as slow as you need to. I want you to trust me and be comfortable with me. I am just happy that you feel the same as I do." Edward stated never looking away from my face. His sincerity was overwhelming.

"Thank you," was the only reply I could muster. At that he opened the door for me and we walked to his car still holding hands. Again he opened the car door for me and we headed back to my place.

The ride was silent but not uncomfortable. It was nice to not have to feel the need to fill every moment with conversation. It was very peaceful.

Edward walked me to the front door and I wasn't sure what to do at this point. Should I kiss him? Don't get me wrong I was definitely thinking about it, but was I ready? In the end Edward took the decision out my hands. He leaned in and kissed me twice on the cheek before telling me good night and walking to his car. The spot on my cheek tingled where his warm, soft lips had touched it. It left me wondering what it would be like to feel his lips on mine. A thought that I surprisingly wanted to find out about! The effect he had on me was amazing.

He waved as he pulled away and I returned the wave before going into my own house to relive this night over again while I tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep.

AN: Thanks for reading. Please leave your thoughts. I am already in the works for the next chapter. Hopefully it won't be long!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: Thank you to all that have reviewed. They make my day to know that there are people out their enjoying it!

Chapter 6

EPOV

I stretched my arms over my head and reached over to turn off the alarm clock that was buzzing loudly in my ear. Although I had only gotten three hours of sleep last night, I felt amazingly rested. I laid there in bed for a few moments just thinking back to my date with Bella.

The whole evening had been everything I had hoped for and then some. I had many scenarios in place in my mind to prepare me for the outcome of the evening, but even the best of those did nothing to match the greatness of the actual date.

To be honest I was terrified when I decided to tell Bella exactly how I was feeling befor I took her home. The date had gone so well that I didn't want to ruin it, but the thought of her walking out the door and possibly never knowing how I felt was strong enough to outweigh my fear of rejection. I just couldn't walk out without saying something. I surprised even myself at the sheer honesty that fell from my lips.

I have always prided myself on my honest approach with people, but sharing my heart was something reserved for only my familyand now Bella.

The few moments that spanned between my last words and her response felt like an eternity, but her words were worth all of my agonizing. Her soft voice affirmed that she had genuinely enjoyed spending time with me and was willing to see where it went. I was ecstatic and more than willing to respect Bella's wishes to go slowly. As long as I could spend time with her I was content. Time held no bounds in respect to Bella being in my life.

I stretched one more time and rolled out of my bed. I hurried through my morning routine glancing at the clock again to see that I was actually a few minutes ahead of schedule. After pulling on the rest of my clothes, I decided to grab breakfast at the resort. It would be easier than messing with anything here.

I had wanted to get to work a few minutes early anyhow to double check everything before I met with the ski patrol this morning. All members of the ski patrol always met at the opening of the season to discuss any policy changes and review important procedures.

I hurried down the steps to my car and threw my gear into the trunk. The air was cold, but it felt refreshing against my skin. After I slid into the driver's seat, I realized that Bella's sweet scent was still lingering in the air. I took a deep breath reveling in the scent that was all her, a sweet floral smell that was truly intoxicating.

The sun was just cresting over the treetops as I drove down the small road towards the resort. The light filtered through the pines sparkling of the snow remaining on the branches and roadside. The weather reports had promised great weather for the next few days which meant opening weekend would be packed with skiers and snowboarders keeping everyone busy for the next few days. The business would be great for the resort, but it also meant that I wouldn't get to see Bella in the next few days. That realization was disappointing to say the least.

Pulling my car up to the small building beside the ski rental office that housed a small coffee shop and concession stand, I parked my car in the front space and jogged to the front door. It was a little early for guests to be there yet, but I knew that I could grab a quick breakfast before heading to my office. As I opened the door to the coffee shop, the smell of fresh coffee and baked goodies hit me full in the face. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the counter looking at all the delicious choices in the display case. Just as I was about to place my order an idea began to form in my head. I had to grin to myself as I paid for my purchase and hurried out the door. If I hurried, I could put my plan into action and still make it to work on time.

***

As I was sitting at my desk looking through the few papers I would need for my meeting with the rest of the ski patrol I heard someone clearing their throat from the doorway.

I looked up and saw Emmett leaning on the door frame, his entire body almost entirely filling the space.

"Whatcha need ?" I asked before quickly looking back to my paperwork not wanting to encourage him. I knew he was fishing for information about my date with Bella and I wasn't biting. I wasn't ready to share her just yet.

"Don't play with me, Eddie. How was it?" he asked grinning at me.

I sighed knowing this was a losing battle. Emmett ran second only to Alice when it came to prying information out of people.

Sighing in exasperation I told him, "It was good. Well better than good actually. I hate to admit it, but you were right. I am glad that I asked her out. It was the best date I have had in …well ever."

I hated to even give Emmett a reason to gloat because it would haunt me forever, but I was truly grateful that he had pushed me. My gratitude would be paying a high price though.

"_Oh_, _really_! You mean to tell me that my brother is finally realizing the genius that is me!" Emmett boomed at me across the office. I had to roll my eyes at that statement. He really was full of himself!

"Don't make me regret what I said dear brother. Gratitude only gets you so far!" I spat back at him. I was grateful but not a glutton for punishment.

"Relax bro. I'm just glad that you actually listened and asked her," Emmett spoke looking sincere, a rarity in his case.

"Me too, Em. Honestly it was the best thing I have done in a long time."

I stood up grabbing the folder of schedules and notes to share at the meeting and walked towards the door. Emmett followed me and we fell into step with each other as we walked to the meeting room at the back of the building.

"Hey man, I wanted to give you a heads up by the way." Emmett said looking a little concerned.

"About what?" I asked.

"Well when Rose and I were leaving the bar the other night we saw Tanya walking through the parking lot. I know that all is over and done with between you two, but I thought you'd like the warning."

Immediately I felt my body tense at the mention of Tanya. It didn't help that not only did I regret any part of my past linked with her, but I didn't want my future with Bella to be tainted by her presence either.

"Thanks for the warning, but I saw her that night, too."

I couldn't help the angry tone that crept into my voice as I quickly recounted my run in with Tanya to Emmett. I could feel the rage bubbling under my skin from reliving the brief conversation in the parking lot.

Emmett shuddered as finished the retelling of my conversation.

"Dude, she is not right. I can't believe that she's still after you. What a loon! I am not sure why you even went there in the first place."

"I know I know you don't need to remind me! Maybe this time she'll get the hint though," I told Emmett. I only wished that I had heeded my family's distaste in Tanya from the beginning, then I wouldn't have to deal with her at all.

BPOV

"Good morning!" I greeted Mrs. Cope as I walked

"Good morning, Bella. Aren't you looking happy this morning," replied Mrs. Cope.

I couldn't help but grin back at her in response as I walked down the hall to my office.

I glanced in Alice's office as I walked past her door, but she wasn't at her desk. Her light was on, so she had to be around the building somewhere.

I hurried down the hall to my office and was surprised to see my light already on. I just shrugged figuring that Alice or Rosalie had needed something and left it on when they left. Hanging my coat in the closet, I turned to power up my computer and that's when I saw the steaming cup of coffee, blueberry muffin, and a folded piece of paper sitting on my desk.

_Huh. I wonder if Alice left me breakfast._

Then I saw my name written in elegant script on the note. I knew that it wasn't Alice's writing, so I picked it up to see what it said. As I read it my eyes got wider and the blush that I dreaded so much began to creep up my face to cover my cheeks.

_Bella-_

_I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you and that I had a wonderful evening with you last night. I hate not knowing when I can see you again. I was hoping that you might let me give you that lesson this weekend? _

_I promise to keep you safe. _

_Edward_

Seeing Edward's elegant handwriting on the note brought a smile to my face.

"Well it looks like someone had a memorable evening last night," spoke a melodic voice that could only come from one person.

_Alice_

"I can only assume that my brother is the cause of your blissful expression," stated Alice as she came strolling into the office and sat herself down on the edge of my desk glancing at he note in my hand.

"Spill!" she demanded.

I sighed allowing my thoughts to drift to last night at Edward's house. It had been such a wonderful evening. I was hard pressed to remember what all my worries had been about in the first place.

When Edward had shared his feelings with me before he brought me home I was torn between my heart and my head, but as I looked at his note and the breakfast he had left for me I was increasingly glad that I had let my heart do the deciding.

"Alice, I'm not sure what you want to hear exactly. We had a great night. I'm glad that I took your advice," I admitted not really sure of what all I wanted to share with her. We had agreed to take it slow and I wasn't sure where that left us in terms of discussing "our relationship" with other people.

_Was there even an "us"? _

Alice glared at me. "Don't try to give me those vague answers, Bella. I wanted the goods! All of it! No leaving anything out," she huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

Boy, that pixie was a pushy little thing when she wanted to be!

I resigned myself to having to have this discussion with Alice, so I settled down at my desk while taking a sip of my coffee and launched into the events of my date with her brother.

Amazingly Alice managed to stay silent as I talked and only nodded her head at various points in my story. I knew that it had to have been a struggle for her not to comment, but I appreciated her just listening.

When I was all done I sat back and waited for Alice to divulge her opinions. Surprisingly her response was brief.

"I'm glad that you are taking a chance. It's time for you to make an effort to reclaim your happiness. Whether it is with my brother or someone else you deserve it," her expression was unusually serious in comparison to her typical bubbly demeanor.

Somewhere deep down I knew that Alice was right and slowly I was starting to work my way towards that life of happiness. I was just glad that Edward was willing to make the journey with me at my pace.

Alice and I talked a few more minutes about work before parting ways and working on our own projects.

Several hours later after working non stop, I heard my cell phone chirp indicating I had a text message.

**Beautiful-**

**Just wanted to tell you I was thinking of you.**

**-E**

My heart rate quickened seeing his text.

_How could one sentence turn my world upside down in minutes?_

I sent a quick text back deciding to be honest and let my guard down a little more.

**E-**

**Thinking of you, too. How are the slopes?**

**B-**

My phone chirped again within seconds with the reply.

**B-**

**Snow is great. Wish you were here, ready for that lesson?**

**E-**

He was really serious about teaching me to ski. There was no way that was going to end well, but I also wanted to let some of my fears go, and I could help but feel the pull I felt when I thought about seeing him again. So I took a deep breath and sent up a quick prayer before responding.

**E-**

**Okay. Where? When?**

**B-**

***

What in the hell had I been thinking! It had to have been a momentary lapse in sanity. There was no logical explanation for how I ended up agreeing to learn to ski. This was a recipe for disaster or at the very least a trip to the local hospital!

My internal rant ceased as soon as I walked around the side of the ski rental office and saw him standing there in all his glorious perfection. I though I was prepared after seeing Edward in his ski patrol uniform, but Edward dressed in black ski pants that hugged his lower body and a royal blue ski parka was breathtaking.

Thankfully I don't think he noticed my momentary lapse in mental capabilities as he smiled and walked towards me.

"Hey there, beautiful!" he greeted me wrapping his arm around my shoulder and kissing my temple.

"HI," was the best I could muster. Why could I not function when he was near me?

The last few days had been so busy taking care of the opening of the resort for the season that we hadn't seen each other. Although Edward had called me each night to see how my day had been. I was amazed at how much I looked forward to those phone calls. They weren't romantic in nature, but he was always so thoughtful and caring that it made me yearn to see him in person.

I was still set on taking this slow, but the need to be near him was growing with each passing day.

We started walking in the direction of the equipment rental office, but we stopped before going in the door. Leaning against the wall were two sets of skis, one shorter than the other.

"I already took care of the equipment so we wouldn't have to deal with the madhouse inside," Edward explained as I eyed the skis warily.

Noticing the look on my face made Edward chuckle, "Bella, please trust me. I will never let anything happen to you."

His expression went from humorous to serious as he leaned closer to me. My breath hitched for a second thinking that he was going to kiss me!

Instead he leaned closer to me ear and whispered, "Do you trust me?"

I shivered in reaction to feeling his hot breath on the side of my face and from having his lips so close to mine.

"Yes," I breathed to afraid to attempt any other verbal response.

"Good, let's get going then. You'll be a pro by lunch," he declared moving away from me and grabbing my hand, leading me to a bench before sitting me down. I instantly missed feeling him so close, but figured it was better for my focus if I wasn't distracted. Edward's close proximity was quickly becoming one of my most dangerous distractions.

Edward knelt in front of me grabbing by fool and slipping of my snow boot before replacing it with a hard plastic boot that was sitting on the ground beside the skis. It buckled in several places around my foot and ankle. It reminded me of the removable cast I had worn once when I had a broken foot. That was not a good omen!

He quickly repeated the process with the other foot before sitting it on the ground and quickly donning his own ski boots.

_Why did they look so much better on him?_

After his boots were on he stood up, still looking graceful and held out his hand to help me up. As soon as I stood I realized that my balance was off because the boots didn't allow for ankle movement. I swayed forwards, but Edward was there to steady me his touch sending a tingling sensation up my arms.

"Let me show how to walk in these things. It's not too bad when you get used to it, but there is a method to it," he explained as walked over to get the skis.

I watched his movements making mental note of what it looked like as he explained that you had to walk heel-toe so you kept your balance.

It honestly looked a little awkward but not impossible. As I looked around I realized that all the skiers were walking in the same manner, so at least I could hopefully blend in a little.

Edward grabbed the sets of skis and explained that we were going to walk over to the ski area and put them on over there. I was thankful that I wouldn't have to maneuver in the skis yet.

He hoisted both pairs onto his left shoulder with ease and grabbed my hand in the other before leading me in the right direction.

We walked slowly, me concentrating on my steps, and Edward making sure that I stayed upright. Every so often I would look up to see Edward smiling at me and my heart would react on its own accord. Eventually we settled into a pace that I could manage and we starting talking about the various events coming up at the resort and the excitement that the new season was brining. It was so easy to talk to Edward. We never seemed to run out of things to say or have to fill awkward moments of silence.

Quicker than I had wanted to, we reached the area designated for beginners and ski lessons. Surprisingly it was fairly empty. There were only a few groups on the opposite side, most of which were children. Seeing this was a relief. I would much rather humiliate myself in front of children than adults close to my age.

However, the thought of me accidentally taking out one of these innocent youngsters with my clumsiness was a definite concern. When I voiced this thought out loud, Edward threw his head back and laughed at me.

"What? It could happen!" I defended myself.

"Bell, you are so absurd. Can I have a little faith from you please?" he questioned the laughter still around his eyes.

"Fine, but you have been warned. Don't blame me when I take out some poor innocent child!" I retorted.

Edward just shook his head, still chuckling at me,

He took both pairs of skis off his shoulders and sat the smaller pair near my feet and stood the other pair upright in the snow beside us.

I looked at the skis at my feet wondering how long it would take me to break one f them or one of my bones.

"Edward, just how expensive are these things anyway?" I questioned him. At least I could have an idea of how mush money I would owe the resort when this pair was no longer usable after today.

"Well it depends on the brand of ski, the type of bindings, and size. Why?" he asked as he bent down to check my boots before showing me how to step my toe in the binding and push down with my heel until it clicked.

"Just wondering. I want to make sure my paycheck can cover any replacements that may be needed after today's adventure," I replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"You worry too much! You will be fine," he assured me while helping me put the other ski onto my other foot before standing up in front of me.

Edward stood directly in front of me holding both of my hands in his. The tingling that I had felt earlier traveled up both of my arms. I wondered if I was imagining this feeling, but quickly shoved the thought away because Edward was explaining to me how to stop. That was definitely not a part of the lesson I could afford to miss!

"Now when you want to stop or slow down you turn your toes in towards each other and push your heels out," Edward explained as he demonstrated with his feet.

It looked like he was pigeon toed, but when I tried it actually worked well. At least if I was going to be successful with any part of this lesson, stopping was a good aspect to excel at.

Edward walked backward slowly in front of me, and I practiced stopping every few feet. Much to my surprise I managed to stop the last few times without his help.

After Edward was sure that I wouldn't go careening down the slope, he walked back up to grab his skis and put them on. Next thing I knew he was sliding to a stop beside me. God he made it look so effortless! I didn't want to know what I looked like in comparison to his obvious expertise.

Trying not to think about the vast differences between us not only when it came to skiing, I concentrated on slowly working my way down the slope. Edward was extremely patient and supportive of my slow progress. Every now and then he would offer words of encouragement or some advice to me. He was never condescending or impatient, it was a nice change from what I was used to. Most people had little patience for a grown woman that could barely maintain her balance while walking let alone during athletic activities.

Eventually I managed to make it the entire length of the slope only stumbling a few times. Now granted we were on the beginner's hill and I was going so slow that I think a snail may have passed me, but I had made it! That in and of itself was a miracle.

Edward gave me one of his breathtaking smiles when we reached the bottom. Once again my heart reacted on its own accord and butterflies seemed to have taken up residence in my stomach.

"Bella, that was great!" Edward lavished me with praise leaning into give me a quick hug.

I couldn't stop myself from inhaling his clean scent. His scent was always so intoxicating but mixed with the crisp cold air made it even more potent.

"Thanks," I replied trying to regain my composure as he pulled his arms away.

We spent the next hour or so making several more trips down the beginner's hill. To my surprise with each pass I gained a little more confidence. In my opinion though the best part was taking the tow line back up to the top of the hill. Each time Edward would stand behind me and put his skis on the outside of mine and hold me to him by one arm while he held the rope with the other. There was a definite sense of loss on my part each time he had to let go when we reached the top.

We were standing at the top of the slope trying to decide if we should take a break when we say a little boy fly past us down the hill. Unfortunately he hit some ice on the way down the hill and lost control of his balance. He fell to the ground and tumbled a few feet before stopping and starting to cry. Edward didn't even hesitate to react.

He pushed off from the top of the hill and yelled over his shoulder at me, "Meet me at the ski racks at the bottom." He then skied quickly over to the little boy to check to see if he was alright.

Seeing Edward instinctively want to help someone, especially a child, tugged at my heart. This was the part of Edward that had pushed me to give him a chance. If he could be so caring towards a stranger, then I had to trust him to act the same way towards me, right?

I decided that I'd better make my way towards the ski racks, knowing that it could take me awhile.

I skied carefully and remained focused on regulating my balance and speed. I wanted to look over to see if the little boy was okay, but that would surely land me flat on my face. As much as Edward acting as my hero appealed in theory, I don't think having him pull me out of snow drift was the best option.

I finally reached the ski racks and was able to pop my skis off using the tips of my poles like Edward had shown me. I was pleased that I remembered the instructions and that I stayed upright doing it. I placed the skis in a rack and locked them down before turning to look for Edward. I glanced around until I finally saw him talking to a beautiful strawberry blond haired woman. I wasn't sure what to think she could have been anyone, but as she leaned in to stroke his forearm my stomach lurched. I had to look away. I couldn't do this again.

EPOV

I felt bad leaving Bella at the top of the slope alone, but I knew that I couldn't ignore the little boy's fall. Even though I was not on duty it was instinctual to help a fallen skier. The fact that it was a child left no doubt, I had to check on him.

I flew down the beginner's hill with ease and reached the little boy in seconds. He was crying, but didn't look hurt. He was definitely more scared than anything.

I crouched down to talk to him so I wasn't so intimidating.

"Hey buddy, are you hurt? That was quite a fall you had," I questioned looking him over.

He sniffled but answered me, "I'm fine. I was racing my dad and I wanted to win."

Just then an older gentleman skied over to us.

"Seth, are you okay? You scared the crap out of me!" the man chastised with a grin on his face. He was obviously not too terribly upset with his son seeing that he was unharmed.

Seth looked chagrined. "I'm fine, Dad. Did this still count as me winning?" he asked looking hopeful.

His dad and I both chuckled at his obvious desire to be deemed the winner.

"Sure you won, but don't tell your mom that we were racing. She'll throttle us both!" his dad lectured him before turning to thank me.

"Not a problem sir. I'm on the ski patrol, but I was teaching a lesson when I saw it happen. I just waned to make sure he was okay," I explained shaking his hand.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before they left to go get some hot chocolate. I guess Seth's dad had decided a break was in order. I was thinking the same thing.

Bella and I had been having so much fun that we didn't really realize that we had been outside for several hours. I knew that Bell would probably be feeling the soreness in her muscles tomorrow and I didn't want to push it. I had told her to meet me at the ski racks at the bottom of the slope, so I turned to head in that direction when someone stepped into my path.

Right in front of me stood Tanya dressed in an ice blue ski suit that fit her like a glove. I almost ran her over because she literally stepped right in front of me as I skied towards the ski racks.

What the hell? Did she not get the hint!

"Jesus Tanya, are you trying to get run over?" I growled at her. I was not in the mood for being pleasant. All I wanted to do was get back to spending time with Bella.

"Now Edward what are you so upset about?" she asked her voicing dripping with fake sincerity as she stepped closer to me.

I immediately stepped out of my skis, so that I could maneuver away from her.

"Tanya, the only thing that is upsetting me is that you don't seem to get the hint. I do not want to see you," I spat at her trying to remain clam and not make a scene. There were numerous people around and many were children.

Tanya was undeterred by my tone of voice as she stepped closer to me running her hand down my arm.

"But I saw you giving that woman a private lesson, and I wanted to know when I could have mine? I'm sure that I could offer you a much more interesting use of your time," she purred at me. Her expression was lustful.

As soon as Tanya referred to Bella as "that woman", I saw red. Bella was more woman than Tanya could ever hope to be. I quickly pushed Tanya's hand away from my arm and glared at her.

"For your information, Tanya, you could never offer me a fraction of what that woman has to offer. Secondly, I have no desire to ever spend time with you again in any fashion. My time for private matters has already been claimed!" with that I walked away leaving Tanya seething once again.

God she infuriated me to no end, yet I was now concerned that Bella would get involved somehow. Tanya had no scruples about people's feelings. She would not hesitate to drag Bella into her sick games.

I decided to not let my confrontation with Tanya ruin my day with Bella. We had been having such a good time, and I wasn't going to ruin it.

I walked over to the ski racks and saw that Bella had already locked up her skis. As I locked my skis in beside hers, I looked around for her. However, I was unprepared for what I saw when I found her. She was sitting on one of the wooden benches against the side of the building, but what was most upsetting was the look in her eyes. She looked so defeated and withdrawn. What the hell had happened?

I walked over to her and sat beside her on the bench, but she didn't say anything. I reached out to brush the hair back that was hiding her face, and I saw the evidence of tears on her cheeks.

"Bella, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" I questioned starting to panic.

At first I didn't think she was going to talk to me, but after a few seconds she just shook her head before saying, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Now I knew that wasn't rue, but how could I get her to tell me. Just as I was about to try again, I saw her glance over to where Tanya and I had been standing a few minutes ago, and then it clicked.

Shit! She had seen us talking and I am sure to her it looked differently than it actually was. I knew that eventually we would have to talk about our pasts, but I certainly hadn't thought it would be today. There was really no way around it though. I sure as to hell wasn't going to let her think whatever was in her head that was making her so upset.

With the decision made, I carefully lifted her chin to make her look me in the face before I spoke, "Bella, it's not what you think. Can we please go somewhere and talk? I want o explain it to you," my eyes implored her to at least give me a chance to explain before she made any decisions.

The wait seemed like hours rather than the few seconds it had been in reality, but she eventually nodded her head and stood to follow me into the lodge. God I hoped that she would believe me. I knew that even though it had only been a few days that I couldn't be without her. She just had to have faith that I was only interested in her.

Looking at the expression on her face as I led her to a quiet corner of the lodge told me that I wasn't the only on that had something to share.

AN: Please leave me some love! I read and respond to all reviews. They mean a lot to me!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. Real life got to me. I ended up being crazy busy with work and family and then got sick on top of it. I hope people are still reading. Let me know at the end.

Chapter 7

EPOV

My mind was racing as I led Bella towards a secluded area in the lodge. I would have preferred to do this somewhere less public, but I didn't want to push my luck. I wasn't sure how Bella would react to what I had to tell her and somewhere in the back of my mind I guess I was hoping that the public setting might help in my favor. Totally selfish I know, but I was grasping at anything that might push this situation to my advantage.

My heart had ripped into millions of pieces when I saw the look on Bella's face as I walked towards her after my encounter with Tanya. She had looked so defeated and withdrawn. It made my blood boil that anyone could make her feel that way least of all Tanya. Tanya wasn't fit to stand in the same category as Bella let alone make her feel like less of person.

I wasn't looking forward to this conversation with Bella, and to be honest I had hoped to not have it until our relationship had progressed to a more stable status, but I guess the fates had other ideas.

I led Bella to an area of comfortable couches around a stone fireplace situated at the back of the lodge. Thankfully it was currently vacant and I was grateful that we could have some privacy. I motioned towards one of the couches wanting to follow Bella's lead.

She walked over and sat with her legs tucked under her and her hair hanging in her face acting as a curtain between us, so I couldn't read her expression clearly. Although the fact that she was hiding her face was signal enough that she wanted to shield herself from me. The mere thought sent a sharp pain through my chest. I just had to make this right. There was no other option available to me. I was too far gone now, Bella had to be a part of my life and I was prepared to bare my soul if need be.

I sat opposite of her on the couch but turned so that I facing her. I wished that I could see her face but her hair was still in the way, so I slowly reached my hand out to tuck it behind her ear. I really had nothing to lose at this point and figured I might as well get every moment I could while she was with me, Thankfully she didn't pull back from me, but she didn't react either. At least now I could see her beautiful face, god knows she is the most breathtaking creature I had ever seen. It was almost painful to look at her exquisite features and not touch her. At least for now she was still here, and I was going to take full advantage of her presence.

Taking a deep breath and reveling in the scent that was solely Bella, I attempted to organize my thoughts. I decided that the best approach would be direct honesty. That way there would be no question of how Bella felt about my past. If she knew everything then whatever decision she made would be a reflection of how she truly felt about me.

"Bella," I began trying to gauge if she was listening. Her eyes flickered to me briefly letting me know that she was hearing me, but they quickly looked back to her lap.

"I want to be completely honest with you and I hope that you'll listen to what I have to say. All I'm asking for right now is for you to hear me out. Will you let me explain?" I asked as I held my breath waiting for her reply.

After a few seconds she simply nodded her head in acquiescence. At least she had agreed to listen. I wasn't going to complain. Now I just had to have her believe in my words.

Taking a deep breath to compose my thoughts, I began, "First let me say that what you saw outside was not what you think at all. I realize that it may have looked differently than it actually was, I am not involved with the woman you saw talking to me, but we were together before."

With those last words I saw Bella flinch slightly.

_Damn this was not going how I wanted it to._

Well I was already in to deep to stop I might as well finish what I started, so I began talking in a low voice, "During the main season last year, I started reevaluating my life. To most people I'm sure my life was picture perfect: great job, great family, and great friends. Yet I always felt like there was a piece missing somewhere, but I could never place what it was exactly. Then one night the whole family was having dinner together at my parents' house and it dawned on me what I was missing. Everyone around me was coupled off. They each had found the one person that would make their world complete, and there I sat alone. I wasn't unhappy mind you, but I realized that I wanted the same thing for myself. I wanted to find that other person to make my life whole."

I chanced a glance at Bella and saw that she was listening intently while chewing on her bottom lip, so I forged on not wanting to give her time to speak just yet. I wanted to get it all out on the table fist.

"After that night at my parents' house I decided that I was going to make more of an effort into finding that person that was meant for me. I think this is where I may have lost some judgment by the way. I was so focused on my epiphany that I wasn't being as clear headed as I normally am."

Bella was still not looking at me, but her shoulders had relaxed slightly and her breathing was steady and slow. Obviously she was listening intently to my monologue.

Pushing ahead, I continued talking. "The lack of thinking things through is what led me to getting involved with Tanya. She and her family had been coming to the resort during the main season for many years, so I knew who she was and we had seen spoken on several occasions. She had shown interest towards me in the past, but I was always polite and never reciprocated that interest, although she always persisted. Last year though, I decided that I might as well give it a shot. Again my judgment was skewed by my recent thoughts regarding finding someone special. It should have dawned on me that if I was not interested before that there was good reason. Needless to say Tanya was more than willing to explore a relationship with me."

Bella snorted in response to this revelation. Part of me wanted to smile at her response, but I knew that I had to get it all out first.

"Thankfully my family was there to open my eyes in regards to Tanya. Needless to say they were not big fans of hers. They saw her for what she really was, a selfish, manipulative woman that was more interested in what I could offer materially than emotionally. At first I was annoyed that my family thought they could interfere, but I soon realized how right they were. As soon as I got my head out of my ass, I ended things with Tanya. She wasn't too pleased mind you, but I knew that finding someone that was right for me wasn't going to happen that way. I know now that finding that person will happen naturally and not by force."

With these last words I slowly reached my hand out to brush Bella's hair back from her face once again as it had fallen down to shield her from me. I had to know what she was thinking. I wished I had the courage to tell her that she was that person for me, but I knew that this was not the time for that conversation.

Her eyes closed slowly as I brushed her hair back, and she took another deep breath still not saying anything.

"Bella please say something," I pleaded. I couldn't stand not knowing what she was thinking.

BPOV

I couldn't believe that Edward had just shared so much with me. If I am being honest with myself, I was ready for him to tell me that Tanya was 'the one that got away'. My god she was beautiful and obviously interested in him by the way she was touching him. What guy wouldn't be interested, right?

However hearing his confession about their past relationship was not the story I had expected to hear. As he spoke to me my emotions went on a rollercoaster ride. One minute I was feeling defeated and crushed after seeing them together and by the end I was feeling oddly hopeful. Although he had not indicated that I was the one he had been looking for, he had at least confirmed that Tanya was not. That fact alone gave me hope.

Before I could give into that hope though I did have a few questions that needed answered first, as well as my own story to share. Edward wasn't the only one with a past that could affect our possible future relationship.

When he pleaded with me to talk to him I felt bad for not saying anything, but I knew that I had to organize my thoughts first, knowing from experience that my mouth often got me into trouble when it got ahead of my brain.

Now that my thoughts were organized I knew that I had some questions of my own.

I turned my body so that it was facing his and slowly looked at him. His forehead was puckered with worry lines and his eyes were troubled. I felt awful that I had caused him to feel this way.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" I asked tentatively. He really had no obligation to tell me anything. He had already told me so much. We weren't a couple, and he had already shared so much with me. I didn't blame him if he chose to refuse.

His brow furrowed a little deeper before he replied, "Of course, Bella. You can ask me anything."

Thinking through the questions rolling around in my mind, I chose the one that had been left unanswered with his explanation.

"Are you and Tanya still friends? Is that why she seemed so close to you?"

I guess part of me wanted reassurance that they were truly over and that it wasn't one of those lingering relationships that rekindled every few months based on convenience.

I was startled to see rage flicker across his face before settling into a face of sadness. I wasn't sure what to make of those emotions. They weren't what I had been expecting to see.

He reached over and gently picked up my hand looking at my face for a moment before speaking to me in a voice filled with conviction, "God no Bella. Tanya and I aren't anything. Please believe me! It was never anything."

He took a deep breath but continued talking, "Tanya and I should never have happened to begin with. I let my thoughts of what I wanted cloud my judgment. There was never a future with her. I can honestly look back and clearly see what a mistake I had made. Unfortunately Tanya does not see it quite so clearly."

My brain registered his last words with a mixture of apprehension and… _jealousy_? So Tanya wants Edward. Well that was just great! How could I compete with her?

Then I heard Edward gently nudging my shoulder and saying my name quietly, "Bella?"

"Sorry, my mind drifted off," I replied lamely not wanting to voice my thoughts.

"Bella, I swear to you she means nothing to me. I have a very clear idea of what the person I am meant to be with is like. And Tanya can't even compare," his voice was soft and pleading. He was looking at me with such intensity that I felt a shiver travel down my back.

His gaze was so intense that it seemed to burn right to my very core. No man had ever looked at me like that before and god it felt so powerful. The small voice in the back of my mind was insisting that he was referring to me when he spoke about the person he'd been looking for, but the rest of my brain was telling me that was not possible. We barley knew each other for one and honestly I was no match for Edward. He was everything I wasn't.

He was still holding on to my hand and looking desperately at me for some response. I realized this was my chance to give Edward the out he needed, so I swallowed the lump in my throat and spoke the words that I was sure he needed to hear to assuage any guilt he might have been feeling.

"Edward I believe you. I'm sorry that I reacted the way that I did. I had no right to do that. I'm also sorry for upsetting you. I really hope that you do find that person someday. You deserve it. Any woman would be lucky to have you love them."

It hurt me more than it should have to say those words. I am not sure when it happened, but at some point in the last few days, I had started falling for Edward Cullen.

At first Edward's face eased into a picture of relief, but as I finished what I was saying it quickly morphed back into a mask of concern.

_Now what did I say?_

Before I could open my mouth to try and explain myself further, Edward had let go of my hand and placed both hands on the side of my face and pulled my face to his and kissed me with the most powerful and intense kiss I had ever experienced. It took me a few seconds to respond because I was in complete shock, but eventually instinct and desire overtook me and I was kissing him back with everything I could. If this was the only chance I had then I was going to make the best of it. I reached my hands up to entwine my fingers in his silky hair and prayed that this could last forever.

Of course with breathing being a necessity, we eventually had to part. Edward rested his forehead against mine but kept his eyes closed, his breathing as erratic as mine.

Finally he spoke in a husky voice, "Bella, listen to me please when I say this. You are the one I have been looking for. I knew it as soon as I saw you and I wanted to tell you then, but I didn't want to frighten you. There has never been, and there never will be anyone for me but you. I know that this is probably too much for you right now, but I can't stand the thought of you thinking that anyone else can be for me what you are. I will keep my promise and we can take this as slow as you want, but I need you to understand how I feel."

As he finished speaking he opened his eyes to look at me while still cradling my face. The intensity in his eyes was no longer there, but it was replaced by the depth of his emotion. I knew that I couldn't doubt his sincerity, but I wasn't sure what to say. I desperately wanted to return those feelings, but there was that nagging part of my past that was holding me back. I knew than that I had to tell him everything. Maybe by telling him I could let it go and truly try to build a relationship with Edward.

Taking a deep breath, I looked back into his gaze and said the words that I didn't think I would ever share with any man, "I think it's time for me to share something with you."

His gaze never wavered from mine as he sat back on the couch pulling me into his lap. It felt so right to be sitting there snuggled into his chest. I only hoped that he would understand where I was coming from after I explained about James.

I inhaled his amazing scent in an attempt to boost my courage before I began speaking.

"When I first went to college in Seattle, I was overwhelmed and a little in awe of such a big city. I had grown up in a very small town where everyone knew each other. I eventually grew to love Seattle and made some really good friends there, but I wasn't big on dating. It wasn't like I never went out on dates, but it was never anything serious. That is until I met…James."

My body reacted to the sound of his name without even thinking about it. I shivered and huddled closer to Edward. He didn't say anything but he leaned down to rest his chin on my head and rubbed my back in small soothing motions. I took another breath and continued speaking.

"James wasn't in any of my classes, but we had some of the same friends. It seemed inevitable that we would eventually meet. At first we just talked whenever we ended up at the same functions. I didn't realize then that James was making sure that he was there when I was. At first I was flattered that James was interested in me enough that he wanted to 'bump' into me when I was out. He was good looking and I was well …not."

At this Edward started to say something, but I touched my finger to his lips to signal that I wanted him to wait. He nodded and didn't say anything, but I knew that he would eventually say whatever he had been thinking.

"It didn't happen over night but eventually James and I started dating. It seemed like a dream come true. This good looking guy wanted to be with me, and I was thrilled. I had never had a serious boyfriend before and he was perfect. He took me to nice places and bought me flowers. All the things that one would think a boyfriend should do. This went on for several months, but it started to change after about 3 months together. It didn't dawn on me at first that things were not the way they should be. It started with little things; like James would have to cancel a date last minute or he would have to cut our night short. Nothing that really threw up a red flag, but then he started acting very jealous about everything I did. The clothes I wore were too revealing, any guy that even looked at me was 'lusting after me', or if I didn't answer the phone he accused me of hiding things from him. I was bothered by his behavior but chalked it up to him caring so much about me that he just wanted to show his love. "

Edward's grip had tightened slightly as I described James' erratic behavior. Looking back at it now I realized that it was riddled with warning signs, but I just didn't want to see them.

"I was trying so hard to make sure James knew that I wasn't interested in anyone else, but nothing seemed to work. One night I decided to surprise him at his apartment. I thought by surprising him that I would be able to show him that he was the only guy I was interested in spending time with. He had given me a key awhile back though I had never used it. I always respected his privacy. When I got to his apartment there was music blaring from his stereo, so he didn't hear me come in. He wasn't in the living room, so I walked back the hall to his room. Needless to say I was not prepared for what I saw there."

Edward quickly jumped in, "Bella you don't have to tell me this. I can guess what comes next. You don't have to relive this for my benefit"

I reached up and ran my finger down his jaw line before I spoke again, "It's okay, I want you to know everything."

He just nodded, so I took that to mean that I could continue with my story.

"James was in bed with another girl that I had recognized from being around when we had gone out with friends. I realized then that she had been near us a lot of the time and that if was probably not an accident. I was shocked and hurt and not sure what to do. At first I just stood there frozen in place. I tried to back out of the room without anyone seeing me. I guess they were so busy that they never noticed me there. I was sick just knowing how stupid and trusting I had been. I went back to my dorm room to try and figure out what to do. I didn't have long to wait because about an hour later James called asking if I wanted some company. I was sick thinking about what I just seen him doing and now he wanted to be with me, but I knew that now was better than later so he came over. When he got there he must have figured out that I was upset. He stood across from me and crossed his arms. Not thinking I asked how his friend was. He didn't answer right away. I guess he was trying to gauge just exactly what I knew. I didn't give him a chance to respond before I told him to get out and that I didn't want to see him again. That I wasn't into guys that kept other girls on the side. He glared at me and basically told me that I was never good enough for him and that if I had been a better girlfriend and knew what a man really wanted then he wouldn't have had to find satisfaction elsewhere. That was the last that I ever saw him, but he did manage to tell most of our friends that I had cheated on him and was never faithful."

I guess that was Edward's breaking point because he couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"God Bella! What an ass! Please tell me you for one don't believe a word he said."

His face was filled with anger, but at lest I knew that it was not directed at me.

"Well for awhile I did feel like I had done something wrong, or that I could have been a better girlfriend. Eventually though a few good friends made me realize that James was a jerk and that it wasn't my fault. However I do still fault myself for not seeing it sooner and not being a better judge of people. I think I just jumped into it so fast that my judgment never got a chance to really kick in."

Edward let out another deep breath, "Well in that case I know what you mean. Is that why you want to go slow?" he asked looking at my face.

"Yes. It's not that I am saying that all guys are like James, but I want to make sure that my judgment has plenty of time to do its job next time around. I hope you can understand. I guess it's also a little bit of self preservation, too."

I knew then that I was fervently hoping that Edward would understand and accept my reasons. I knew deep down that Edward was one of the good ones, but getting burned will always teach one to not play with fire again so to speak.

My heart started to race as Edward leaned in close to my ear, "Bella I promise you with everything I have that I will never hurt you. I will go about this as slow as you need to go. All I ask is that we can spend time together. I honestly can't imagine my life without you in it, and I will take you however you want."

My breathing was erratic. It amazed me the effect that Edward had on my body. It had never been like that with James or any other guy for that matter.

"Okay," was the best I could come up with at the time, and I knew then that I was falling for Edward hard and fast.

"Good," was Edward's whispered response before he leaned in to kiss me.

At that moment I was lost and didn't want to think about anything else except for Edward's lips on mine.

AN: I hope that sheds a little light onto their pasts. Please let me know if you are still enjoying the story. I get lots of hits, but I am not sure what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: Again I apologize for the delay in posting. I really want to post more often but real life has other ideas. I promise not to abandon the story though. It will get written. I have it all planned out, I just need the time to get it all written out. Thanks again to those that review. I love hearing from all of you. Thanks again!

Chapter 8

EPOV

Kissing Bella was the most amazing experience of my life. I couldn't believe the depth of the emotion that was connected with something as simple as our kiss, and yet it had been so powerful. I have never experienced anything even being remotely closely to it before.

It wasn't like I had never been with a woman before, but those encounters were driven solely by lust and desire not by any form of emotional connection. The two kisses that I had just shared with Bella were now the only moments I have shared with a woman that I ever cared to remember. Nothing in the past was even comparable or worth remembering.

I had been so nervous to share my past that involved Tanya with Bella. I had been so focused at that time in my life to find the depth of love that I witnessed in my family members that my judgment had been severely impaired. Thankfully my family was there to kick some much needed sense into me.

I didn't want Bella to think that I was looking for just anyone any more. I had learned my lesson, and knew without a doubt that I had found my future in Bella. She was all I had ever wanted or needed. Now I just had to bide my time and show Bella that my feelings were true and real. I was more than willing to take my time and make the effort. She was worth it. She was everything.

That ass James had no idea what a treasure he had in Bella, and his loss was my gain. As much as I wanted to rearrange his face and other key body parts for hurting Bella like he had, there was that small part of my mind that realized without his actions Bella might not have become a part of my life. That thought alone caused a tightening in my chest. In such a short time Bella had invaded my mind, body, and heart.

After our discussion at the lodge we spent a little more time just sitting together and talking quietly about nothing important. We had already shared so much on a serious level that it was nice to just talk about nothing in particular. Of course we did manage to sneak in a few more kisses. Although it didn't go past that, my desire for Bella was overwhelming. I had never felt the physical yearning for another woman like I did for Bella. I knew that we were not at that point as of yet, but my body had its own opinions on the matter.

Eventually we decided that we weren't going to make it back on the slopes and decided we should probably head home. I desperately wanted to see more of Bella, but not wanting to push it, I walked her to her truck so she could go to her cabin. At her truck I did kiss her one more time not able to resist her soft lips. I didn't know when I would get the opportunity again so I was taking full advantage of the moment. I promised to call her later and check on her before she hopped into her truck and headed home.

BPOV

I felt like I was floating as I drove home from my afternoon with Edward. It certainly had not turned out like I had thought it would, but in the end I have to say that I wouldn't change a thing. Although I had dreaded revealing my past with James to Edward, I was relieved at his immediate acceptance. There were times that I hated James for what he did to me, but I was trying my hardest to get past all of it and move forward. I was eternally grateful that Edward was willing to take the journey with me.

I was shocked though that my previous need to proceed slowly appeared to be speeding up with a heightened sense of urgency. Kissing Edward might have had something to do with that I am sure. The few kisses we had shared today were magical. I had never felt that much passion and emotion from sharing something as simple as a kiss. I am embarrassed to admit that I was anxiously wondering when I would be kissing him again.

_Damn I hoped it was sooner rather than later!_

***

Over the last few days, Edward and I talked everyday for hours about everything, but with our crazy schedules we hadn't able to see each other since our skiing lesson. I knew that this was going to be this way, but it didn't diminish my disappointment.

I was sitting at my desk on Thursday afternoon finishing some last minute odds and ends when my phone beeped letting me know I had a text message.

_Hey beautiful-_

_I miss seeing you. Can we meet for a drink tonight? I have the full on puppy dog face if that will assist in your decision._

_-Edward_

I chuckled at his pleading. As if I could refuse him anything at this point. I may not be ready to dive into a serious lifelong commitment, but I was definitely falling for him.

I responded right away.

_To my favorite ski instructor-_

_I would love to. The lodge at 7:00?_

_-Bella_

My phone beeped almost immediately after I sent the message.

_To my favorite student-_

_I had better be your only instructor! I'll see you then. _

_-Edward X_

I grinned at his reply and looked towards the clock. At least I only had to survive the next few hours until I could see him again, god even that seemed like an eternity. _What was happening to me?_

***

I ran home after work and changed into some more date worthy clothes. It wasn't anything special, but I didn't want to see Edward after the last few days of not seeing him in my work gear. I threw on some black skinny jeans and a deep purple blouse that flattered my figure without looking sleazy. I combed through my hair, through on some light makeup, and grabbed my coat before heading back out the door. Thankfully my truck was still behaving, so I actually arrived a few minutes early. I decided to head in and wait for Edward inside the bar.

The bar area was busy but not overly crowded. With it being a week night there weren't as many guests at the resort as on the weekends. I made my way towards the bar and ordered a drink while I waited.

A few minutes later I was sitting on one of the suede bar stools when I head a deep voice from the stool next to me.

"So have you come to the conclusion that Cullen can't give you what you _need_?" drawled a male voice that sounded oddly familiar.

As I turned to tell off whoever it was a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind and leaned towards the man on the other stool.

"Newton, I told you before leave my girlfriend alone!" Edward stated these words with an emphasis that was not rude but it left no doubt that he meant what he said.

_Wait, did he say girlfriend?_

"Sorry, Eddie. I didn't realize you had _marked_ your territory," he replied with a sneer on his face.

I could feel Edward's grip tighten at Newton's words, so I figure that I'd better head this pissing match off before things got out of hand.

I turned on my stool to kiss Edward on the cheek and whispered loud enough for only Newton and Edward to hear me, "Baby, you can mark me anytime you want."

As I had hoped Newton got pissed and grabbed his beer before storming off towards the pool tables on the other side of the bar. Edward on the other hand looked stunned at my words. The look on his face made me giggle. I had apparently rendered him speechless.

I slid off my stool and grabbed my drink and Edward's beer that he had sat on the bar when he had come over and led him to a booth in the corner of the bar.

He must have regained some of his composure while walking over to the booth because he pulled me into his lap and whispered seductively into my ear sending chills down my spine.

"Holy hell Bella, I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but I will not complain if you feel the urge to do that again!"

I giggled again and kissed his cheek. It was nice to know that I had some affect over Edward like he had over me.

"Good to know," I replied.

"I figured that was the best way to get rid of Newton without you two throwing punches."

Edward chuckled darkly at my theory, and then his face grew serious.

"What's wrong?" I questioned wondering if I had done something to upset him. Newton was a ski patrol member so maybe I had overstepped my bounds.

Edward was quick to offer reassurance though.

"Nothing is wrong, Bella. I was just concerned that you might have been upset about what I said to Newton about you being my girlfriend. I truly respect your feelings on taking things slow and I don't want to rush you. I just wanted him to get a clear picture that he was not welcome," he stated all of this in a rush and his brow was furrowed in worry.

My chest tightened knowing that he was trying so hard, and that I was the cause for all his efforts. Truth be told I had actually reveled in the fact that he would refer to me as his girlfriend even if his intentions were just to save me from Newton. I had to make him realize that I wasn't upset at him at all.

I reached up to smooth away his creased brow before I spoke, "Edward it's fine, honest. I wasn't upset at all about you telling him that. Not just because it means he won't bug me, but to be honest…I liked hearing you say that. I know you weren't serious, but it sounded nice all the same. I've never had someone want to protect and care for me like you do."

His faced smoothed out as I spoke and his worried expression was replaced by his crooked grin. I would never tire of seeing that smile!

"Bella, let's get some things straight. First I was dead serious when I said that. I would love nothing more than if you would be my girlfriend. I have been ready since our first date and I will continue to wait until you are ready. My decision was made a long time ago. When and if you are ready, I am yours."

My heart was racing at his honest and heartfelt speech. I was still not sure why this amazing man wanted to be with me. It truly was baffling to me. I suddenly came to the realization that I needed to take a leap of faith and see where this would go.

Deep down I wanted to have complete trust that Edward would always protect and care for me, and I would never know unless I let my guard down and gave it an honest effort.

Taking a deep breath, I whispered just two words, "I'm ready."

It took a moment for my words to register with Edward. I watched as his face switched from confusion to absolute elation. Before I could begin to say anything else he crashed his lips to mine in a kiss that easily told me how happy he was at that moment. I was happier than I could have thought possible. I was finally letting go of my past and opening my heart up to another person. The thought was both overwhelming and exciting.

I reached up to twine my fingers into his hair as we continued kissing. I knew I would never tire of feeling his soft hair running through my fingers or having his lips on mine. Edward eventually broke the kiss, but his lips didn't leave my skin. Instead he trailed hot, open mouth kisses down my jaw to the point where my neck and collarbone met.

He kissed me once more before whispering in my ear, "Thank you."

There really was nothing else he needed to say. I knew what those two simple words meant to both of us.

After a few more moments of just sitting with each other, we decided to play some pool. It was nice to just spend some time together and enjoy the evening. We made plans to go tubing the next day. His family would also be there, and I was looking forward to spending time with them. I got along well with Alice and we often had lunch together if our schedules were coordinated. I knew she would be thrilled to know that Edward and I had decided to become "official". I just hoped that I could somehow contain her potentially "enthusiastic" reaction.

Edward walked me to my truck and gave me a searing kiss good night that made my toes curl before I headed home. I was definitely enjoying the benefits of being able to kiss Edward whenever the mood suited. I could only imagine what the next phase of our physical relationship would be like.

_Hmmmm? The possibilities were endless!_

***

EPOV

After the events of the evening with Bella, I found that I was unable to fall asleep when I returned home. All I wanted was to hold Bella in my arms and kiss her senseless. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Bella would have committed herself to me so soon. I wanted to shout it to anyone that was within earshot that Bella was now my girlfriend. I had never felt such a need in the past. The feelings that were coursing through me were all so fresh and new. All I knew was that I never wanted to lose those feelings. Even though we had only known each other for a short time, I knew without a doubt that Bella was the last woman I would ever need in my life. She was it for me.

Even though my sleep was minimal, I woke up feeling refreshed and excited for the day ahead. Not only would I get to see Bella so soon after leaving her side last night, but I could let everyone know that she was mine! I knew my family would be ecstatic for us.

I threw on my clothes and grabbed the essentials for the day, and headed out to my car. I was picking Bella up so that we could ride together. Not only was it silly to take two vehicles, but I honestly wanted to have her to myself for a few minutes before we met up with the rest of my family. Knowing Alice once we arrived at the tubing hill, Bella would be forced to endure her questioning for an undisclosed period of time.

I pulled up to her cabin right on time and the smile spread from ear to ear as she burst out of the front door towards my car stumbling twice before throwing herself into my arms with such enthusiasm that I could help but pick her up off the ground and hug her to my chest. She squealed as I spun her around a few times laughing at her infectious giggles. I lowered her to the ground but didn't let her go right away. I wanted to savor the moment just a few seconds longer, I also couldn't resist pressing my lips to hers for a kiss. They were just too damn tempting!

I released a groan when her tongue darted out to sweep across my bottom lip. She had no idea of the effect she had on me, and if I wasn't careful she would surely find out. I wasn't sure how long I could restrain myself around her. I deepened the kiss for a few more seconds before having to break away from her for fear of throwing her over my shoulder and running back into her cabin, tubing be damned.

I placed several light kisses across her nose and cheeks before leading her to the passenger door and helping her inside. Taking a much needed calming breath I jogged over to the driver's side and hopped in.

I finally found my voice so that I could actually speak to her, "That was certainly a pleasant way to start the day I must say! Do you think that I could come by every morning for one of those kisses?"

Her telltale blush inevitably crept up her cheeks as she grinned back at me.

"I think that could be arranged," she replied. What she said next nearly had me drive off the side of the road though.

"It would save you a lot of trouble if you just stayed at my place," she replied with a wink.

I was so stunned at this feisty version of Bella that it took all of my self control to keep the car driving on the road. I couldn't even begin to allow my mind to wander down such a tempting path at this point. I knew my limits and Bella was already testing them to their fullest extent.

Thankfully we were pulling into the tubing park's lot, so I was freed from having to respond to her little comment. Although the smirk on her face made it plain that she was well aware of the effect she had on me and I do believe she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

We both made sure that we had all of our outerwear on before walking towards the entrance. The only thing we had yet to put on were our gloves, so that we could intertwine our hands together while we walked. I was so drawn to her. I had this insane need to be touching Bella when we were together, even in the most innocent manner.

As soon as we reached the tubing park, I spotted the rest of my family waiting for us. We walked over to them and I caught Alice glance at our intertwined fingers and then shoot me a look that said 'We will talk later'. I just shrugged in acceptance. When Alice became determined about something there was nothing anyone could do to stop her. I had nothing to hide from her so for once I didn't feel overly apprehensive about the impending inquisition.

As soon as we reached the others, Emmett grabbed Bella away from me and threw her over his shoulder and started running up the hill to the start of the tubing run. Bella was squealing and pounding him on his back as he ran, although her fists did little to deter my oaf of a brother.

"Emmett Cullen! Put me down you Neanderthal!" squeaked Bella's loud but laughing protest.

Emmett just laughed and grabbed a tube at the top of the hill before plopping Bella down in the tube and jumping on it behind her as they shot off down the hill at mock speed with Bella yelling and laughing the entire way.

"Hold on tight little one!" Emmett hollered as they shot past us sending snow flying in our direction.

"Emmett, you'd better not let anything happen to my girlfriend!" I yelled as they shot past us only half joking. Emmett sometimes forgot his sheer size was twice that of most people and almost three times that of someone like Bella.

"Girlfriend, huh?" questioned Alice while quirking her eyebrow in my direction.

I let out a deep breath before responding. I knew that this was coming, but I didn't want to have Alice interfering or telling me 'I told you so'.

"Yes, Alice, Bella and I are official," I looked at her as I spoke to evaluate her reaction.

She was quiet for a few seconds and then squealed loudly before hugging in a surprisingly tight grasp given her size.

"It's about damn time brother dear," she admonished with a grin so I knew she was only partially serious.

Thankfully Bella and Emmett were heading our way, effectively ending anymore commentary from Alice. Though I had no doubt that I would hear plenty more later.

Bella finally reached me and wrapped her arms around my waist before loudly whispering in me ear, so that the others could hear, "Save me please! I think Emmett was trying to scare me to death or at the very least make me piss my pants!"

Everyone laughed and Emmett pretended to look hurt.

"Ah, Bells you wound me!" he clasped his hands over his heart to exaggerate his point.

"Don't worry, baby. I won't let the mean bully pick on you anymore," I whispered in her ear, eliciting a shiver from her. I loved that I could cause that reaction from Bella.

"Alright that's enough you two! Let's go play!" said Rosalie as she started dragging Emmett back up the hill.

***

BPOV

We had a blast tubing together for the afternoon. It we each took turns trading off who we rode with on the tubes. It was so much fun just hanging out with Edward's family.

I loved that they all accepted me so easily, especially knowing that they had never liked Tanya. It was probably a little immature, but I still reveled in the fact that they liked me better. Who cares if I sounded like I was in high school!

Alice had pulled me to the side at one point to give me a hug and tell me how glad she was that I was giving her brother a chance. I reassured her that I was equally glad that I had put trust into Edward.

It was starting to get dark and we had all had enough of the snow and cold by early evening, so we all decided to grab some pizzas and head over to Edward's house. Apparently his house was the closest to the resort and easiest to accommodate everyone.

We had a great time eating and chatting with each other. It was very relaxing and comfortable. After all the pizza had been eaten, almost half by Emmett, the others decided to call it a night and headed to their respective homes. All of them gave me a hug as they left. Emmett's being the most enthusiastic and Alice's being the tightest. I promised to call her the next day to set up a time to go shopping.

The resorts Winter Carnival was coming up the weekend after Thanksgiving and apparently I needed a new dress for the dance that was planned for Saturday night. She informed me that she knew of the perfect store to shop at and that we just had to get there soon before all the dresses were picked over. After securing a promise from me, she was willing to leave with Jasper following her and shaking his head with a chuckle. Obviously he was used to Alice's insistence when she was after something.

Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me towards the couch in front of the fireplace. I smiled to myself remembering our first date and the time we had spent on that same couch. I wondered if he remembered it as fondly as I did.

When we reached the couch, Edward pulled me down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist before placing a kiss on my neck just below my ear. I shivered involuntarily and felt him smile against my skin.

"Are you cold?" he questioned while continuing to place kisses down my neck to my collarbone.

"N-n-n-o," I managed to stutter out as my eyes drifted closed. I could hardly maintain any focus when Edward was kissing me.

"That's too bad," he murmured against my skin.

"Huh?" was my intelligent response.

"Well if you were cold, then I could find a way to keep you warm," he whispered as his hands ghosted across the tops of my thighs.

_Oh shit! He did not just say that._

My mind was so muddled that I couldn't manage a response back. All I knew was that I wanted him to keep kissing me.

Thankfully he chose to ignore my lack of verbal skills at that point and continue with his attack on my neck and sensitive skin below my ear. I felt his hand travel up the outside of my thighs to the sliver of skin that was exposed between the hem of my shirt and waist band of my jeans, ever so slowly dragging his fingers across the skin.

_God it felt amazing to feel his hands on my bare skin. _

As amazing as it felt to have Edward kissing my neck, I desperately wanted his lips on mine, so I managed enough coherent thought to swing my leg around so that I was straddling his waist and crushed my lips to his. If he was surprised by this he didn't let on. He was the first to deepen the kiss by snaking his tongue out to sweep across my bottom lip. I groaned in response, between his tongue and hands I was a goner.

I wasn't sure how far I wanted this to go, but I was unwilling to stop just yet. Apparently the fates decided it was time to intervene when Edward's phone began to ring.

I was pleased to notice that he was as unhappy to cease as I was at that moment. He let out a small groan and a muffled, "Damn it!" before reaching for his phone.

"Oh Hi Mom," was his reply to whatever was said on the other line. I decided that straddling him while he talked to his mom was a bad idea so I made a move to get up, but he held my still on his lap. Obviously he wanted me to stay put, so I sat back down and idly ran my hands through his hair while he talked.

"Alright I'll ask her," he said as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the cushions obviously enjoying the attention I was lavishing on him.

"I was going to talk to her about it anyway. I just haven't had the chance yet. You know how crazy it's been," he was silent for a few moments and then said his goodbye before closing his phone and tossing on the couch beside us.

"God Bella that feels so incredible," he nearly moaned.

"Glad to hear it," I replied kissing his cheek.

"How's your mom by the way. I feel bad that I haven't seen her in awhile."

"She's good. She was actually calling about you. She wanted me to make sure that I invited you to Thanksgiving at their house. I was planning on talking about it with you tonight, but was distracted by a beautiful brunette that was sitting in my lap," he chuckled and winked at me.

Wow! I couldn't believe that they wanted me for Thanksgiving dinner at their house. We had only been dating a short time, and that kind of stuff was usually reserved for long term girlfriends.

"Edward, are you sure about that? Isn't that usually an immediate family type of occasion?" I questioned. I didn't want him to think that he had to invite me out of obligation.

"Bella, don't be absurd. As far as I am concerned you are part of the family. There isn't a member of the family that wouldn't say the same thing. I'll just be miserable and moping around if you don't came with me, unless of course you have other plans with your family."

"No it's not that. My family doesn't really do the big family dinner thing, so I was just going to stay here and help out at the resort."

Edward and I had never really discussed my family in depth. My parents were great and they loved and supported me, but we just never made a big deal about the holidays. It just seemed easier to stay here that try and travel back home.

"Then it's settled. You will get to partake in a true family Thanksgiving, including watching Emmett eat half the food and make an ass of himself when he realizes that his stomach does not agree with the amount of food he consumes!"

I had to chuckle at the mental picture he created because it seemed so totally Emmett.

"Alright then, I guess your family has one more for dinner on Thanksgiving then."

Edward responded with the best reply I could imagine as he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me.

AN: I hope you liked it. I know it was exactly exciting, but I needed to move the story along. We are only 1 or 2 chapters until the prologue. I know many of you are anxious to get there. I hope I am still keeping you interested. I humbly ask again that if you read that you please leave me a quick review. Good or bad, I use them when I write. Thanks again!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: Okay I hope that this meets all of the expectations of my reviewers. It is my longest chapter yet and we do get to the much anticipated prologue. I hope I did it justice.

BPOV

I was putting the last of the pies I had made into the wicker carrying basket when I felt two strong arms snake around my waist and the most tempting set of lips brush against my neck.

_Mmmmm, Edward was here!_

"If you keep doing that we will have to explain to your mother and my boss why we are late for Thanksgiving," I murmured only half caring at that particular moment.

"It would be worth it," Edward whispered back against my neck. His breath sending shivers down my spine.

"I have no doubt about that, but I guess I have to be the responsible one," I stated in the firmest voice I could muster, which was not really that stern. Thank goodness Edward relented his attack and reached over to take the basket off the counter.

"Just remember Miss Swan that this is simply a pause. We will finish this later."

The seduction in his voice was clear and decisive and I was looking forward to 'later'.

We headed to his parent's house and chatted catching up on the last week. Once again we had spent only fleeting moments together. The preparations for he Winter Carnival had all of us running in all directions trying to complete the last minute details before the holiday weekend rush.

I was definitely looking forward to the upcoming long weekend, so that Edward and I could spend some time together. I was actually looking forward to dinner with his family and the upcoming carnival party. Admittedly I was a little apprehensive about attending the family Thanksgiving, but Esme had stopped in to see me and made sure I knew how much I was wanted there.

It made me feel like a part of their close knit family to share this holiday with them. It also helps that she agreed to let me bring dessert. I couldn't go to anyone's home empty handed.

The road to Carlisle and Esme's home was very similar to the tree lined road leading to Edward's. It was on the other side of the resort's property, opposite of the others' homes. Edward explained that it had been built with the original resort and renovated over the years to keep up with the times.

I was speechless when the house came into view after the last turn in the road. It was magnificent. Again it looked as if it was made to be a part of the surrounding landscape. The exterior was constructed of wood, stone, and large glass windows that sparkled in the afternoon sun. It was easy to tell that the inspiration for the home came from the main lodge at the resort.

"Edward it's amazing!" I exclaimed as he parked in front of the house.

"It really is. I can honestly say that I loved growing up n that house. Although I think I would say that no matter where we grew up. My parents gave us a great childhood."

Edward's honest appraisal of his parents was always so heartwarming. There were many people that had little appreciation for their parents. Not only did he appreciate them, but he truly considered them to be one of the important people in his life.

When we walked into the foyer, we were immediately accosted by the most tantalizing smells.

"Mmmm, that smells fabulous!" I exclaimed.

"I have to agree with you there, Beautiful. Mom is a great cook. I will bet though that Emmett is already trying to sample and Mom is chasing him off!"

Sure enough as we walked through to the kitchen Emmett was trying to grab a piece of some of the turkey that Esme was basting. The only thing he received though was a rap to the back of his hand with the baster.

"Aww, Mom come one. I just want to make sure it's ready," Emmett whined giving her his best injured expression.

"Emmett, if I let you taste everything that you are trying to get at, the rest of us will have to eat bread and butter for Thanks giving. Now get out of here!" she chastised her bear of a son before giving him a kiss on the cheek and a shove out of the way.

Edward looked at me and mouthed the words 'Told you so.'

I couldn't help but giggle at Emmett's antics and Edward's eerily accurate prediction about his brother.

Edward sat the basket on the counter and walked over to give his mom a hug and kiss on the cheek. I followed him and did the same.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Esme. Thank you again for having me."

"Bella, it's our pleasure. It wouldn't be the same without you here with us," Esme spoke with such sincerity that I couldn't doubt her words.

"Emmett! Get your hand off that basket right now!" exclaimed Esme over my shoulder just before I heard the basket lid snap shut and Emmett jog out of the kitchen. I guess he figured that he had pushed his mother far enough for one holiday.

I couldn't help but giggle at Emmett's childish antics. He was just too funny for words sometimes. If I would have had a big brother I would have wanted him to be just like Emmett.

"I swear that boy's body kept growing, but his maturity is still stalled at age 12!" stated Esme with a slight shake of her head.

"At least you have me, Mom," said Edward putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her to his side.

"I seem to remember that you were the one always willing to follow your brother's many ideas their dear son of mine," came Esme's reply.

Edward pretended to look shocked and hurt by his mother's assessment, but he quickly gave her that infamous crooked grin before looking at me.

"Don't listen to a word she says, Bella. It's all lies I tell ya!"

I found myself giggling again. I loved watching them interact with each other. It was exactly how a family should be.

He walked over to me and placed his arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple. It set my heart into a flutter to know that he was comfortable being affectionate with me in front of his parents. James had never even introduced me to his family. At the time I never really thought about it, but seeing Edward so content to include me with his family's traditions made a lump start to form in my throat.

Esme smiled at us before addressing her son, "Edward can you go find your dad and tell him that dinner is almost ready. I think he is in his study. Let the others know to while you are at it."

"Sure, Mom."

Edward looked at me and I could tell that he was trying to gauge what I wanted to do, stay here with Esme or go with him.

I smiled at him and kissed his cheek before stepping towards Esme to see if she needed a hand with anything.

Esme and I made small talk while we got the food ready and carried to the dining room table. The table was set with candles, and table settings that looked like they belonged in a magazine shoot.

When we returned to the kitchen to check for last minute items, Esme turned to look at me with a kind smile on her face.

"Bella. I just wanted to say thank you."

"Esme, it was my pleasure to help you," I replied honestly thinking that she was thanking me fro helping finish up the meal preparations.

Esme just smiled and shook her head at me, "No, Bella, I am not thanking for helping me. I am thanking you for the joy you have brought my son. He has been alone for so long and I have always wanted to see him find what my other children have found with their partners. It makes me so happy to see what he has found in you."

For the second time in less than hour I found my throat clenching in emotion.

I managed to rein myself in well enough to say an emotional. "Thank you, Esme."

"No, thank you Bella," was her brief reply before grabbing me into a tight hug.

There wasn't anything else to say, her hug said it all.

We could hear everyone making their way to the dining room, so we walked in to join them.

Edward held out a chair that was situated between himself and Alice for me. I smiled at him and took my seat.

***

Dinner was great. Everyone ate too much, and that was only half of what Emmett consumed on his own. I really enjoyed being a part of a traditional holiday with such a loving family. It gave me a deep sense of hope that someday I may be a part of such a family permanently.

Before Edward took me home, Alice made me promise that I would be ready to go dress shopping the next morning at the crack of dawn. I groaned thinking that I would be one of the idiotic masses that would be shopping at the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, which according to Alice was a national holiday.

I knew that it had to happen tomorrow because I needed the dress for Saturday, but it didn't make me any less apprehensive. Shopping with Alice was sure to be an Olympic level sporting event!

***

When Edward took me home, I asked him to come in for a little bit. I felt like we haven't had any quiet time together recently.

Edward built a fire in the stone fireplace and we sat against the couch on the woven rug drinking a glass of wine and snuggling together while we talked about nothing in particular.

I was sitting between Edward's legs and he was running his fingers through my hair. How something as simple as that could make my heart race was beyond me. When he started trailing hot, open mouthed kisses down my neck to my collarbone I almost came undone.

My breathing hitched when his hands trailed under my shirt and made small circles across my stomach, I could help the small groan that escaped from my parted lips. Slowly Edward widened the circles and eventually his hands ghosted over my bra before trailing back to my stomach. It was not nearly enough for my liking, but I decided to let him lead.

He repeated the same pattern on my stomach and headed back up to my breasts. This time staying there a little longer and ghosting his thumbs under the edge of my breath. I could feel my heart racing and my breath making an embarrassing amount of noise.

I loved feeling his hands on me, but I was in desperate need of feeling his lips on mine at that moment, so I twisted around in his arms so that I could kiss his lips with all the passion he was creating in me at that moment. I had never felt like this before with any other man. Al though my experience was not extensive, I had been with enough men to be able to separate the experiences. Being with Edward was in a whole other league.

Our kisses were passionate and filled with emotion. I wasn't even aware at what point my shirt came off and was thrown to the side. I just didn't care anymore. All I wanted to do was feel Edward's skin on mine, so I started unbuttoning his shirt as best I could while not letting my lips leave his.

"Bella," came Edward's muffled groan as he kissed along my jaw to my ear.

I loved that I was the one doing that to him. As soon as I released the last button, I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and tossed it aside.

My bra was not far behind it falling to the floor as well. The feel of Edward's strong hands as the caressed my breasts was amazing. Our chests pressed together just felt right. It was as if our bodies were made to be together with each other in this way. I ran my hands down his chest to his chiseled abs and groaned again at the feel of his skin under my fingers.

Edward eventually pulled away gasping for air, but never letting go of his hold on me.

"Bella, I can't believe how amazing it is to be with you like this, but I think we need to stop for now," his words came out in a raspy whisper.

_What? Maybe we weren't on the same page here. Maybe I had misread things. _

EPOV

As soon as the words left my mouth I realized that Bella would hear them differently than I had meant them. I needed to reassure her before her mind made her think otherwise.

I hugged her tightly to my chest and almost came undone as I felt her breasts press against my bare chest. It took all of my will power to not continue from where we had just left off.

"Bella, let me explain please," my voice was shaky both from emotion and the restraint I needed to get the words out before my desire took over all of my faculties

I felt her nod against my chest in response, but she didn't say anything. I guess this was going to be as good as it was going to get for now.

"Bella, believe me when I say I want nothing more than to throw you down on this rug and ravish you all night long. I want to hear you scream my name until your voice is hoarse. I also want to make sure that you know exactly how important you are to me when that time comes. I want to do this right, Bella. Can you understand what I ma saying? " I was pleading for her understanding.

I didn't want my relationship with Bella to follow the same path that I had with other women. Bella was it for me and I was determined that I would do this right.

"Okay," was her solitary response.

"Bella, I don't believe you. I need to know that you truly understand that I want you," I was desperate to make her understand my reasons.

"Edward, it really is okay. I just feel so much for you that it is hard to organize in my head sometimes. Can I ask you for one thing though?"

"Anything."

"Will you stay here tonight? I know that we won't do anything, but I would like to have you close to me. If you aren't comfortable with that I'll understand," her voice was unsure and filled with emotion.

"Bella, I would love to stay with you tonight. I want to spend every moment of my life with you," I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her with all of the emotion I felt. I only hoped that she could feel what my words could not tell her.

She didn't say anything to me, but instead kissed my bare chest several times before standing up and pulling me to my feet. Still holding my hand she led me up the stairs to her bedroom where we crawled under the thick quilt and held each other close before drifting off to sleep.

***

In my state of awakening, I realized that an insistent loud banging was the reason for my interrupted slumber.

_What the hell?_

It took me another second to realize that I was snuggled up behind the most wonderful woman in the world. Bella's hair was covering her pillow and draped across her still bare shoulder. I inhaled her wonderful, unique scent reveling in the fact that she was the one in my arms when I woke up. Unfortunately, the peacefulness was once again shattered by loud banging. This time Bella must have heard the noise and rolled towards me smiling in her drowsy state.

"Morning," was her muffled greeting as she yawned before snuggling closer to my chest.

"Good morning to you to beautiful," I replied kissing the top of her head.

Once again the mood was shattered by that damn banging.

"What is that?" asked Bella looking confused. It was so early that it made no sense for there to be any loud noises coming from outside at that hour.

"I have no idea, but I'll go check it out," I commented before untangling myself from Bella's arms and legs and padding down the stairs not bothering to put my shirt back on. I had every intention of returning to my girlfriend's warm bed just as soon as I found the source of the noise.

Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs I heard it again, and that's when I realized that someone was knocking rather impatiently on the front door.

Who the hell would be knocking on Bella's door at this ungodly hour?

I opened the door and started to say, "Do you have any idea what -," only be faced with a very pissed off Alice.

As soon as she saw that it was me her expression changed from irritation to an all knowing smirk.

"Well hello there my dear brother. Fancy seeing you here," her voice had an annoying tone as she strolled past me towards the stairs.

"Bella Swan you have exactly 5 minutes to get that cute ass of yours dressed and ready to shop!" She bellowed as she marched up the stairs obviously on her way to make sure Bella was ready in those given 5 minutes.

I knew that Alice would get her way and Bella would be dragged away in a few minutes, so I wandered into the kitchen to make some coffee for her to take along. Knowing Alice Bella would need the caffeine boost to keep up with my high energy sister.

Just as I predicted 4 minutes later, Bella and Alice came down the stairs. Alice looked triumphant and Bella looked less than thrilled.

I walked over and handed her a travel mug of coffee and wrapped my arms around her.

She quickly snuggled into my chest and thanked me for the coffee. Knowing that the longer I delayed her leaving with Alice would only prolong their return; I walked them both to Alice's car and made sure to give her a sound kiss good bye.

"Have a good day, beautiful," I whispered against her lips before tucking her in the car.

"Miss you," came her reply before Alice started the car and the radio blared out of the speakers. My sister was truly obnoxious sometimes. Refusing to let her win, I leaned again one more time and whispered in Bella's ear, "Miss you more".

BPOV

Alice drove like a maniac down the snowy mountain road like she was on a race track. I think I would have been scared shitless, if I wasn't so irritated at her early and demanding arrival. She certainly wasn't kidding when she said that we would be leaving bright and early. The early part was accurate enough, but the sun had barely crested the horizon so bright was stretching it a bit.

When I glanced over at her face she was sitting there just smirking away like the cat that ate the canary. I knew that this look had to be because she found Edward at my house this morning. I also knew that this meant that I was going to be interrogated to the fullest extent this morning. Knowing this, I decided to le her sweat it out a bit. At the very least I could have a little fun at her expense!

So I pretended to close my eyes and doze while she drove. Her patience lasted all of 2 minutes before she let out an exasperated groan.

"Bella, you can't possibly sleep now. I want details and I will not wait another minute! I want to know how exactly my dear brother came to be half naked at your door this morning?" she demanded.

I paused for a minute just for torture sake before talking.

"It's not what you think Alice. Honest I just wanted to spend some more time with him, so I asked him to stay. We didn't _sleep_ together last night. Well we did sleep together, but not in the way you are thinking. We actually slept."

"Are you telling me that nothing happened, dear Bella?" she questioned raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me.

"I didn't say that Alice, I just said that we didn't sleep together in the biblical sense."

I knew that she wasn't stupid enough to believe that we hadn't been physical, but I still felt as if those details were private. Although part of me wanted to ask her about Edward wanting to take it slow. I was curious as to if this was something he always did with his girlfriends. I was trying to rein in my insecurity, but it wasn't always easy. As much as I believed Edward's sincerity about how he felt about me, I still held onto that little piece that said I wasn't in his league.

"Well it's good to know that you are at least having some fun thanks to my brother."

I just shook my head at Alice's remark. As much as I wanted to ask her about Edward's past, I knew that wasn't fair to him or her. Any questions I had should be asked directly to Edward.

Sooner than it should have taken us, we pulled into the dress shop that Alice said had the best selection in the area. I was surprised to see the lot had quite a few cars already. It was hard for me to fathom that other people were as insane about shopping in the wee hours of the morning as Alice was. Crazy people!

The store itself was actually a place that I would have shopped at on my own without Alice's encouragement. It was small and personal. The owner greeted us as soon as we entered with a smile at me and a warm hug for Alice. It was obvious that Alice was a favorite customer and was treated as such. Alice declined any assistance from the owner, stating that we would be fine. The owner nodded, but made Alice promise to find her if we needed any help.

Alice grabbed my hand and led me to a dressing room and pushed me inside. I thought this was a little odd because I hadn't even looked at anything yet, but Alice was quick to offer an explanation.

"Okay Bella, now get undressed and I will bring you some dresses. I am going to find the perfect dress for you to make my brother fall over. Not that it will take much. It is already so head over heels for you that a garbage bag would do the trick!"

I heard that last word she spoke before she walked out of the door, apparently a woman on a mission!

Alice was so absurd sometimes. The way she viewed Edward and I was over the top, although the thought of causing Edward to see me that way was definitely appealing.

Deciding to humor her at this point I quickly stripped down to prepare for the parade of dresses sure to some my way.

A few minutes later I realized how true that really was. Alice reentered the room with no less than 15 dresses over her arm.

"Holy crow, Alice. Don't you think this is excessive," I exclaimed. I had never tried on more than a few things before being satisfied with something. Shopping honestly was not a favorite pastime of mine.

"Bella, this is nothing I have 10 more waiting on a rack outside if the winner isn't among these. This is serious business. Now get moving. I have put them in order so start trying them on!"

I swear Alice was a dictator in her former life!

As I began to try on dresses, I realized that Alice's order was such for a reason. Each consecutive dress I tried on was better than the last. I was tempted to just tell Alice to give me the one that she really wanted me to wear, but my giving nature was still in rare form, so I played along. As soon as I saw the next to last dress I knew that it was the one.

It was the darkest blue silk that I had ever seen. In the light it almost appeared black when I turned in certain ways, but it was blue. The top was a clean strapless neckline that fitted my body in just the right way. It ended just above my knee in a simple hemline. The true beauty of the dress was in the crystals that encrusted the top of the dress. At first they were numerous, eventually fading away as the traveled towards the hem. It was magnificent!

Alice squealed when she saw me in the dress.

"I knew it! That's the one. Edward is going to positively drool seeing you in that dress! I am going to go and grab some shoes. I saw the perfect ones when we came in. Don't even bother trying the other ones on it's a waste of time," came Alice's fleeting response as she danced out of the room.

I was taking one last look in the three way mirror in the outer portion of the dressing room when I heard a female voice behind me.

"So you're the flavor of the month?" snarled a female voice I had never heard before. At first I thought she was talking to someone else, until I realized we were the only ones in the dressing room.

I quickly turned around to see who was talking to me. Then I sucked in a quick breath realizing who had just spoken to me.

_Tanya_.

I wasn't even sure what to say at first. I had technically never met Tanya before. I had only seen her at a distance. Unfortunately for me I realized quickly that her beauty was greater than I had imagined at that distance. Up close she was stunning.

Tanya decided to take advantage of my silence to continue with her verbal confrontation.

"I just thought it was only fair to tell you that Edward is _mine!_ It will only be a matter of time until he realizes his mistake and comes crawling back to me. He and I belong together. I can't even imagine what he sees in someone like you," she sneered at me as she talked. I was so floored that this woman who I had never even spoken to could have such venom in her voice directed at me. Granted I can't blame her for wanting Edward, but being so malicious was just ugly.

Finding my voice I realized that there was little I had to say to her.

"I honestly don't have anything to say to you. I don't even know you, but try as you might Edward is with me now, so good luck with that!"

I felt quite proud of myself for standing up for myself against Tanya. Confrontation was typically something I avoided at all costs.

My pride was short lived at Tanya's next words. The familiarity struck a nerve that I thought was finally starting to lose its sensitivity, but apparently some wounds are deep.

"Keep telling yourself that sweetie, but you will never **satisfy **Edward like I have! I know what he needs and wants and I am the only person that can give it to him, so don't even bother trying!"

With her last words she turned with a satisfied look on her face and sashayed out of the room.

I just stood there rooted to the spot. Tanya's words stinging me to my very soul. Alice walked into the room moments later with a scowl over glancing over her shoulder before turning to look at me. She immediately saw my expression and rushed over to me,

"Bella are you okay? What's wrong?" Alice was frantically looking at me trying to gauge what was the matter.

I wanted so badly to tell her everything that had just happened, but couldn't. I was too humiliated. How in the world had I allowed myself to think that someone like Edward would want me. The echo of her words '_you will never satisfy Edward'_ brought the memory of James to the forefront all over again. They were almost the same words that he had spoken to me the night I had caught him cheating.

The combination of that memory along with Tanya's words was devastating to say the least. I wanted desperately to not find purchase in Tanya's words, but I was finding it very difficult. I knew better than to place my faith in a woman that was obviously after Edward, but it was extremely difficult. Having just begun to trust a man again didn't help my predicament either. For now I decided to just push it to the side until I could feel better equipped to sort it through.

Thankfully Alice didn't push me to talk to her on the ride home. I had a feeling that she had seen Tanya in the store by the look on her face when she returned to the dressing room, but to her credit she didn't push me. My guess was that she knew that I wasn't ready to talk just yet.

The ride back to my cabin was quiet. I was lost in my own thoughts and Alice left me alone to think.

When we pulled in front of the cabin, I reached for the door handle and was ready to get out when Alice's grabbed my arm.

"Bella wait a sec, okay. I know that something happened at the dress shop, and I am not asking you to tell me what it was. I respect your space and that when you are ready to talk that you know I am here for you, but I need to say one thing before you go."

Alice's voice had a hint of desperation, so I simply nodded to let her know I was listening.

With a sigh of relief Alice started talking again, "Bella I have a feeling that Tanya is somehow the cause of all of your silence. I saw her at the store and I know her well enough to know that she has no tact. Please know that Tanya is a manipulative woman that has no problems crushing those around her to get what she wants. Believe me when I say that Edward feels more for you than he has ever felt for anyone. Tanya holds nothing for him. Can you please trust me?"

Her voice was pleading and her expression was so earnest that I knew I would try my best to keep the faith I had gained with Edward. Edward had never given me any reason to doubt his feelings, and until he did I was going to trust him. Screw Tanya!

"Alice, I promise I still have faith in Edward. Tanya did say some things to me, but I will make sure I put them aside and chalk them up to a jealous ex-girlfriend's ranting."

Her expression relaxed with my declaration and she leaned over to hug me.

"Bella, Edward is so lucky to have met you!"

I hugged her back thinking to myself that I was the truly lucky one.

***

Alice arrived in the early part of the afternoon to help me get ready for the evening. To be honest, I was glad that Alice was coming over. Although I had decided to let the confrontation with Tanya go, I still wanted to make sure that I was worthy of being with Edward. I know that the thoughts were irrational, but it was what I needed at that moment. I knew with Alice's expertise in the beauty department that when all was said and done that I would look and feel my best.

True to her word and several hours of primping later I really felt the part of the beautiful girlfriend. My hair was shiny and hung in loose curl around my face. My makeup was more dramatic than usual, but not so heavy that I felt out of character. The dress was perfect, and even the shoes that Alice had found were just right. They had a heel, but it was not so high that I would be a detriment to my own safety.

After a last nod of approval, Alice left to get ready at her own house. Edward was picking me up shortly and I was both excited and anxious. Although we had been dating for several weeks now, this was the first time that we had gone out together to something that was not a casual event.

Before I knew it there was a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, I threw it open to see Edward standing there in a black sports coat and pants. His shirt was a pale blue and unbuttoned near his throat. My throat went dry and I had no words for the god-like man in front of me.

After a few seconds I regained my composure enough to gesture for him to come. I realized at that point that he had yet to say anything to me either. Before I could even ponder this, Edward had grabbed me around the waist and crashed his lips to mine.

_I guess he liked the way I looked!_

I was more than happy to oblige his actions. Hell I was willing to skip the party and maybe work on moving our physical relationship a little further along. I know that I was trying to ignore Tanya's comments, but part of me still yearned to prove I was able to take care of all of Edward's needs.

Too quickly, Edward eased us apart slightly, but he didn't let go of me entirely.

"God Bella, you are stunning! It's a good thing that I fear Alice enough to make sure we still go to the party tonight. Otherwise we might never make it!"

"Mmmm, that does sound tempting. However you are right about Alice. I have no plans to incur her wrath tonight! There is always later though," I said in what I hoped was a seductive voice before sliding away from his grasp to get my coat so we could go.

I chuckled to myself as I heard Edward groan behind me. Thankfully he didn't push anymore because I wasn't sure how much I would be bale to resist at this point.

Ever the gentlemen, Edward helped me on with my coat and opened all of the doors for me. The trip was quick and peaceful to the lodge. We parked near the entrance and made our way inside quickly. The temperatures were dropping quickly and the forecast was calling for snow in the near future.

Edward pulled me close to his side and led me to the large ballroom that was where the party was located. We quickly spotted the rest of the family and headed over to the large table that was reserved for them. Everyone oohed and aahed over how fabulous everything looked. Alice had out done herself. The room was transformed into a winter wonderland. White lights and candles covered every surface. It was very magical and romantic. Eventually the group left the table to mingle and dance.

Edwards wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned close to my ear, "May I please have this dance?"

My knees trembled as his breath flowed around my neck. I simply nodded and allowed him to lead me to the dance floor. As he spun me around and wrapped himself around me a caught a glimpse of Tanya standing along the far wall glaring directly at me, her expression was so venomous that I actually had to look away.

Even though I had decided to not let Tanya get to me, I had a feeling that she was more determined than ever to get her way. Thankfully Edward was unaware of the silent conversation between Tanya and me.

After another dance, Emmett came over and cut in claiming that he had 'big brother' rights and he wanted to dance with his 'little sis'. Edward just shook his head and kissed my cheek before handing me over to Emmett. I just shook my head. Emmett was such a softie, but dancing with him was like dancing with a big bear, He spun me around the dance floor for a few songs before we both decided we needed a break.

When I glanced around the room, I didn't see Edward right away, so I decided a quick trip to the ladies room was in order before trying to track him down. My guess was that Alice had commandeered him for some task that needed completed at the last minute.

After I had finished in the ladies room, I was walking back the hallway to the ballroom when my whole world shattered before me. There in a secluded alcove at the end of the hallway was Tanya and she had her hands fisted in the most amazing head of bronze hair as her lips were smashed with his. His hands were holding onto her shoulders.

Edward was kissing Tanya! It was my worst nightmare all over again! This time it was a thousand times worse than catching James cheating because this time I realized that I loved the man kissing the other woman!

It seemed like hours passed, but in reality it was only seconds. I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I couldn't do this again. My heart couldn't take it. I had to get away from here as fast as possible. Self preservation was my only concern at the moment.

I had almost made it to the front doors when I realized that I didn't have a car here. I was

starting to panic at this point. There was no way that I could handle this right now. I needed some time and space.

Just before sheer panic set in, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Alice. She took one look at me and pulled me into a fierce hug.

"Bella, what the hell happened? You look like you have seen a ghost!"

She pulled back long enough to survey my expression.

"Alice, can you take me home please?" my voice was shaky and on the verge of losing it.

Alice must have sensed my desperation because she simply nodded and led me to her car.

The ride was painfully silent. All I could think about was seeing the man I had fallen in love with kissing another woman. The truth of her words in the dress shop coupled with James' words from my past were haunting me. I would never be satisfying to anyone.

Thankfully the drive was over quickly even though it had started to snow rather heavily as we drove towards the cabin. When Alice pulled up to my cabin, I knew that I had to get away from here to clear my head. I also knew that I didn't want to cause anyone panic, so I had to let someone know I was leaving for a few days. I just wasn't ready to hear Edward break my heart. I needed some distance and time to prepare for that crushing blow. Having to see James the same night that he cheated was just too painful. I couldn't let history repeat itself.

Without looking at Alice's face I said the few words that I knew I had to get out before I lost my composure.

"Alice, I can't talk about this right now, but I am going to leave for a few days. There are some things that I need to sort out for myself. I don't want you to worry, but I promise that I will call you later."

Alice just nodded her head in understanding before I jumped out of her car and headed into my cabin. I was leaving as soon as possible.

***

I was driving as fast as the snow covered mountain pass would safely allow. I just had to get as far away from him as possible. There was just no way that I could go through this kind of pain and humiliation again. Having your heart broken once in a lifetime was too much. Twice wasn't even imaginable.

I knew that leaving during the snowstorm and being an emotional wreck was definitely a bad idea, but being rational wasn't exactly where I was at this point in time. I knew my old truck was capable of getting me safely away from the resort even in snowy weather. The worst part of the drive was the windy mountain road from the resort to the main highway. After I reached the highway, I would call Alice and let her know that I was safe and needed some time to sort through my racing thoughts and emotions.

I was so lost in my thoughts as the tears streamed down my face that I didn't hear the distant rumble of the avalanche on the mountainside until it was too late.

Although avalanches could be common during the winter months, I had yet to witness one while working at the resort. Therefore, I had no idea what they entailed other than the brief descriptions given by the ski patrol. I was in no way prepared for the large wall of snow and debris that hit the passenger side of my truck with such force that it took my breath away as my chest slammed into the steering wheel. Within a few seconds I realized that my truck was no longer safely on the mountain pass, but was skidding closer to the guard rail on the other side of the road. I tried to swerve back to the right side, but the force of the snow wall was just too great.

The tumult of snow continued its assault on my truck until it hit the guard rail. I sent up a silent prayer that the rail would hold against my ancient Chevy truck and the vast amounts of relentless moving snow. The rail creaked and groaned in a valiant attempt to hold my truck steady, but the snow was ruthless and continued to push in opposition against my truck. Soon the snow had covered the cab of my truck and the glass of the windshield and passenger window began to groan just before it shattered, spraying me in the face with glass shards, snow, and debris cutting into my face and neck.

I knew that I was in serious trouble as the truck groaned one more time before sliding to the left and beginning its descent down the mountain side. My head was hurled into the driver's side window as the truck began to roll. Then everything started to turn hazy and the images in front of me began to swim out of focus. The last thing I remember was thinking…"Edward, Why?" before the darkness enveloped me.

AN: Well there ire is. Now the story has plenty left to go. The next chapter will start in Edward's POV.I am grateful to all who review. I had the most with the last chapter. Please let me know if this was what you expected. Also I love to hear any thoughts you may have. Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: This one is all in EPOV. It should answer some questions for you. I hope you like it. The response last chapter was great!

EPOV

I chuckled to myself watching Emmett twirl Bella across the dance floor and dipping her in an exaggerated dance move. She was laughing and slapping at his arm trying to get him to place her upright again. I loved watching my girl with my family. She fit in so well that it was hard to imagine a time when she wasn't a part of it.

I decided that since Bella was currently occupied with my goofball of a brother that I would make a quick trip to the restroom because I planned on cutting in and dancing with Bella next. I couldn't wait to wrap my arms around her and feel her close to me. Ever since seeing her in that dress when I picked her up my mind had been conjuring up some seriously naughty ideas that included me and Bella without that dress in the way. I know that I told Bella that I wanted to do this right and I really have good intentions of doing just that, but she was testing my control to its limit!

Hopefully some cold water on my face would calm me down enough that I could dance with Bella, and not act like an animal!

I definitely felt more in control as I left the restroom and started down the hall to the ballroom. Without warning I felt a pair of hands grab me by the shoulders and spin me around into a small alcove located in the hallway. I was initially taken so off guard by the abrupt movement that I had to grab onto the offending person so that I didn't fall flat on my face.

As soon as my gaze landed on their face a feeling of both dread and anger coursed through me. What the hell was she thinking? Just as I opened my mouth to tell her exactly what I was thinking, Tanya crashed her lips to mine. Not caring about being a gentleman anymore where Tanya was concerned, I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from as hard as I dared.

"Tanya, what the hell are you doing?" I practically screamed at her before remembering we were in a quiet hallway and could possibly draw attention to ourselves.

Instead of answering my question, Tanya made a move to kiss me again. This woman must be mental! Not only couldn't she get the hint all the times before, but now she was resorting to throwing herself at me when I was clearly in love with someone else.

_What? In love? _

I had never uttered those words in regards to a woman before, but I was suddenly sure that I was in love with Bella.

At the same moment that my epiphany struck me, a small manicured hand flew at Tanya and struck her cheek. She reeled back from the impact clutching her hand to her face with a gasp, and a look of complete shock gracing her face.

She was not the only one with a shocked expression. My face must have mirrored hers as I turned to look at my tiny sister's venomous expression that was directed at Tanya.

I knew Alice was a formidable woman, but I had never seen her lash out in physical aggression before. Her hands were balled into fists at her side and she was trembling from the rage that must be coursing through her at this moment. Before I even had the chance to speak to Alice she began her tirade at Tanya.

Her perfectly polished fingernail was pointing like a dagger in Tanya's face and even Tanya knew better than to say anything against Alice at this moment.

"I have had enough of you shamelessly throwing yourself at my brother! He is too much a gentleman to ever tell you to piss off, but lucky for him I have no such qualms. I am saying this one time and one time only, get out of his life and get off this property. You are no longer welcome here. You will be gone by morning or that slap will seem like a tickle when I let Rosalie have a go!"

With that last comment, Tanya's eyes flew open in surprise and a hint of fear I am sure. Even during our brief relationship, she was well aware of Rosalie's opinion of her.

Choosing wisely on her part Tanya turned towards the door and hurriedly walked away with not so much as a glance back at us.

I was so grateful to Alice for her words to Tanya because she was accurate in her appraisal that I would never be less than a gentleman to a woman, even a woman such as Tanya. However, before I could thank her she whirled around pointing that same finger in my face.

Shit! What had I done now?

"You dear brother are in seriously deep shit! How could you do that to Bella?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Alice. I didn't do anything! You know I would never hurt Bella. I lover her for god's sake," letting the words fall from my lips without consideration to the fact that I was telling my sister about the depth of my feelings before sharing them with Bella.

My words must have hit their mark though because her expression softened and instead of continuing her tirade she grabbed me into a fierce hug.

As I hugged Alice I realized that I needed to find Bella and tell her how I felt. I knew that my feelings were never going to change, and I couldn't wait another minute to share this with her.

"I need to go find Bella. I am sure she is wondering what happened to me. I left her dancing with Emmett. Did you happen to see if she was still dancing with him?" I asked Alice in a rush.

The look on her face was one of sadness and pain. It made no sense to me at that moment until she began to speak in a low measured tone, "Edward, Bella isn't in there with Emmett anymore. She went back to her cabin a little while ago."

What the hell? That made no sense at all. Was she sick? My brain was having trouble processing what Alice was saying to me.

"Alice, what the hell are you talking about? Is she sick? Why didn't she come get me?"

I was starting to panic. Why in the world would Bella leave?

"Edward, I think Bella must have seen Tanya kissing you and gotten the wrong idea. She came to me really upset and asked me to take her back to her cabin. She wouldn't talk to me about whatever was bothering her. I figured she just needed to cool off. I didn't realize what had happened."

Alice's words hit me with the force of speeding truck. If Bella had seen Tanya kissing me, it would have looked entirely different to her. Given her past with James, this would have been a devastating blow to her. I knew that she was breaking down her walls with me, but that level of complete trust had yet to be reached. This one incident would set her back miles in our relationship.

"Shit, Alice! I need to go talk to her. I can't let her think that I would do that to her. Can you tell everyone that I had to leave and I will call you after I talk to Bella," my voice was shaky and strained. All I wanted to do was get to Bella and make this right.

I stared towards the front doors of the lodge with Alice quickly following me.

"Edward, wait I need to tell you-," Alice was yelling behind me, but her words were cut off when Emmett came running towards me from the ballroom.

"There you are man! I have been looking everywhere for you. We just got a call from the patrol office. There's been an avalanche on the far side of the resort. Thankfully it's in the restricted area, but they think it may have reached the main road. From the reports they are receiving, it sounds like it could be nasty. They are calling everyone in to the patrol office in case we need to go out."

Great now I was stuck having to go to work instead of talking to Bella. This was going from bad to worse in record time.

I knew that I couldn't let Bella continue thinking what she was about me and Tanya, so I turned to Alice for her help.

"Ally, can you please go talk to Bella for me. I hate to not do it myself, but I have to check into this," I pleaded my case to Alice knowing she would help me.

Again her face was a mask of pain and this time fear.

"Edward, I can't. That's what I was trying to tell you before. Bella isn't there right now. She told me that she was leaving the resort for a few days to clear her head. She won't be there. I am sure she is on the road already."

Road! Oh my god, Bella! The avalanche!

Emmett's and Alice's thoughts must have been running parallel to mine because their faces registered the same realization as mine.

Alice was the first to speak, "Oh my God! The road!"

At her words, Emmett and I started running towards the door in a full out sprint to the headquarters.

As I ran I yelled over my shoulder at Alice, "Call Bella and drive to her cabin. Stop her if she hasn't left yet and call me as soon as you know anything. We'll be at the patrol office getting the most recent details!"

I didn't even bother to wait for a reply knowing that Alice was just as terrified as I was about the possibility of Bella being trapped in the avalanche. As I ran I kept telling myself that the chances of her being caught wee small and that she most likely was safe. I honestly couldn't let my heart believe anything else. It would have killed me to think of something happening to Bella.

As Emmett and I ran through the door of the patrol office, I was mentally listing the things that had to be done to prep for the possible situations caused by the avalanche. The resort had never experienced one while I was here even as a child, but protocol was always reviewed each year in case of such an emergency.

Newton met me at the door with the report from the weather agency and local authorities. Apparently the avalanche was substantial in size, but had luckily occurred in an uninhabited area of the mountain. The biggest problem was the possibility that it had caused damage or was blocking the mountain road that connected the resort to the surrounding area.

As Mike was reading off the reports details, Emmett and I were quickly getting into our gear in preparation of any rescues that may come up. The entire time I was gearing up my mind was locked on the woman I loved and her current whereabouts. I was just about to call Alice when my phone rang in my pocket. It was Alice.

My heart was beating erratically at all the possibilities that this call may bring. I sent up a quick prayer to the heavens and flipped open my phone.

"Edward, she's not here and she's not answering my calls," came Alice's shaky and desperate voice.

As her words sunk in I felt my world begin to crumble. This could not be happening. My rational side was telling me that there could be plenty of reasons why she wasn't answering her phone. However, my irrational side was playing out all the devastating scenarios. This was the side that was winning out.

In the distance I vaguely heard Alice calling my name still on the phone that had now fallen to my desk. I quickly snatched the phone back up knowing exactly what I had to do.

"Alice, I have to go. I will call you if I hear from her. Please stay at the cabin in case she comes back," my voice was clear and firm.

"Okay, Edward," was Alice's soft reply before hanging up on the other end.

I grabbed my parka and radio from my office and ran to find Emmett. There was no option left at this point. I needed to make sure Bella was safe.

Emmett said nothing to me as I jogged past him. Without a word he grabbed his gear and followed behind me easily matching my strides. He had to know what I was planning to do. I welcomed his assistance, but I didn't stop to talk with him. Time was not on our side if there really was an emergency situation. Avalanches were unstable entities even after the initial onslaught. Smaller avalanches and slides could occur due to the unstable conditions.

I rounded the corner of the patrol office building once I was outside in the cold night, and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight in front of me Newton and several other senior patrol members were assembled with snowmobiles and rescue gear ready obviously awaiting my instructions. The gratitude that swept through me was immeasurable and I would have to share it with all of them some day, but for now there was no time to waste. At the front of the group were two snowmobiles with their engines purring waiting for Em and I to take the lead.

I simply nodded at the assembled team and quickly made my way to the snowmobile at the front of the group. Emmett was less than a step behind me. We quickly secured our gear and hopped on the snowmobiles. Thankfully the snow had let up considerably so the visibility would be better than expected. There was no question as to the destination our team was headed tonight. The mountain road was my only concern. If that area was clear than I could be fairly certain that Bella was safely on the other side. I couldn't even bring myself to ponder the other possibilities.

The access road used by the snowmobiles was fairly clear thanks to the freshly fallen snow leaving a clean blanket for the snowmobiles to fly across. I led the group in a single file formation down the path that would lead us to the restricted area where the avalanche had apparently occurred. We would have to take a lesser used path to reach the road.

In less than 5 minutes we had reached the smaller path that led to the main road. I cranked the engine to its limit and flew through the trees at the fastest speed I dared. My heart was pounding in anticipation of either outcome.

I could see the break in the trees up ahead that opened to what was supposed to be the main road, but all I could see was a pile of snow that was littered with debris from the snow sliding down the mountainside during the avalanche.

Cursing in frustration at the hampered visibility, I maneuvered the snowmobile over the piled snow and began scanning the area where the road should be located. It was impossible to discern the road from the surrounding landscape. Everything was blanketed with snow, rocks, dirt, and tree limbs.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a piece of the guard rail that was used to line the road. I scanned its pathway using it as a guide to discern the roadway.

My whole world came crashing down at the sight that met my eyes. The guard rail was ripped out of the ground and curved over the mountainside in a twisted mass of metal. Directly in front of the twisted metal was the tail end of an old Chevy truck…Bella's truck. The rest of the truck was pointed over the edge of the road. From this angle I could see nothing in the cab.

My heart was hammering in my head as I gunned the engine of the snowmobile and flew towards the truck. Emmett having pulled up seconds after me was right on my tail in pursuit of the same target.

As soon as I was within three yards of the truck, I stopped the snowmobile and hopped off testing the density of the snow beneath my feet. If it was not packed tightly enough I could fall in and create another dangerous situation. All of my senses were on high alert trying to follow all of the training I had received, and not run straight to the truck without thinking things through.

Emmett was one step behind me mimicking my actions. The rest of the patrol was spaced out across the distance trying not to disturb the already unstable situation.

As quickly as was safe I made my way towards the truck. It took every ounce of my self control to not just bolt to the truck.

As I made my way over I yelled for Bella, "Bella! Bella are you there?" Only silence answered my calls.

In two more steps I was close enough to look over the edge of the road and see the rest of the truck. My stomach lurched and my heart ripped into two when I saw Bella's face covered in cuts and scrapes and her head resting to the side of the cab obviously unconscious.

My control had meant its limit and I dropped to my knees and scrambled towards her, no longer caring about safety. If Bella was going to lose her life, then I didn't care if I lived!

"Bella! Baby can you hear me?" was my relentless refrain as I tried in desperation to reach the woman that had stolen my heart.

I distantly heard Emmett trying to shout warnings to me, but I honestly didn't give a shit what he had to say. Bella was my only concern.

I slid on my belly along the snow until I reached the passenger window of the truck. There was no glass left in any of the windows. The force of the sliding snow must have pushed it out. I reached through the window with my right arm while I braced myself against the truck cab with my left to see if I could feel a pulse.

Thank god! She had a pulse and her breathing was shallow but steady. Unfortunately in the given conditions her injuries from the accident were only part of the concerns. Hypothermia could set in quickly and we had no idea how long she had been out here. Someone from above must have been looking out for her though because as the truck slid over the edge breaking through the guard rail, two large trees had stopped the truck from plummeting any further.

"Hold on beautiful. We're going to get you out of here. Please hold on for me," I tried to steady my voice and sound calm and strong for her.

I knew our first priority was to get her out of the truck and warm her body temperature before we could assess her other injuries. I also realized that she needed to get to a hospital sooner rather than later. Time was not on our side and I would be damned if Bella wouldn't get everything she needed to survive this.

"Emmett, radio for the recue chopper. Tell them we have a victim in need of transportation with possible hypothermia and other unknown injuries. Tell them to land as close to the avalanche site as possible and radio in a location. We will transport her to them as soon as she is free from the truck," I yelled all of this in the calmest voice I could muster before ducking my upper body back into the truck cab to assess Bella's condition more closely.

I knew that removing Bella from the truck posed its own innate risks, but allowing her to remain in these conditions would lead to greater risks more quickly. We would have to do what we could and pray that no further damage came from the rescue.

I could briefly hear Emmett relaying the information to the rescue operator and the rest of the patrol members. I turned my attention back to the love of my life that was fighting for hers. On closer inspection I realized that the old truck had taken the brunt of the impact and for once I was grateful that Bella had been driving it.

Her face was covered in many cuts and scrapes though most appeared superficial in nature. There were a few that would require stitches. Her left arm appeared to be injured as well. It seemed that when the truck had rolled to the left that her body had pinned it against the doorframe at an odd angle. It made me sick to think of the terror she must have been feeling during those moments when the snow hit the truck.

The question now was how to remove Bella from the truck without causing her further damage and without creating a more dangerous situation if the truck shifted. It appeared to be holding fairly stable against the trees, but caution was still a factor.

Emmett's head appeared beside my body at the window holding a neck brace in his one hand while holding himself against the truck frame.

"Here man, slide this around her neck and then we need to get her out ASAP. The chopper is on its way as we speak." His voice was clear and firm, but the emotion under the surface was evident.

I simply nodded taking the neck brace from him and slipping it around Bella's neck as gently as I could, all the while murmuring to her that she was going to be fine and that I loved her. I knew she couldn't hear me, but I had to say it anyway. Another day was not going to go by without her hearing my words of love.

"Bella, baby, you need to hang in there for me. We are going to get you out of here in just a minute. I love you, baby. Stay with me," the words were filled with all the emotion I had for her.

I reached under her arms and slowly began inching my way back out of the truck still on my belly. Emmett had moved to the side and was making sure that the truck was remaining stable while I maneuvered us backwards. Bella never uttered a sound while I was moving us out. Her silence was terrifying to say the least.

The whole time I was pulling us out, I kept up a constant dialogue in her ear. It was as much for her as it was for me. I needed to relay my thoughts and feelings to her.

As I slid the rest of the way out the window, Emmet reached forward to assist in pulling Bella the rest of the way out. He had a rescue board waiting for her next to the truck's window. We slowly transferred her body to the board and quickly covered her to conserve any heat that we could. Thankfully the boards were designed to transport victims in harsh conditions and were designed to keep them warm.

Moving as quickly as we could we attached the board to the snowmobile and readied Bella to travel the distance to the helicopter landing site.

Emmett jumped on to drive and I hopped on behind him. I knew that I was in no shape to drive and I needed to be as close to Bella as I could.

Emmett briefly told the rest of the patrol to return to the headquarters and brief Esme and Carlisle about what had happened. He also told them to make sure that no guests entered the roadway or restricted areas.

Starting the snowmobile, we pulled away from the group and headed to the designated landing site. The entire ride took less than 5 minutes, but it felt like an entire lifetime. As soon as the helicopter was in sight I started to radio ahead to inform them of the details of Bella's condition.

Emmett pulled the snowmobile up next to the chopper's door. We both jumped off at the same time and began disconnecting the rescue board. It was made to then be lifted directly into the chopper. The rescue team in the chopper helped lift Bella in and starting working on her right away.

I knew that there was no way I was leaving Bella at this point, so I yelled into the pilot so hear could hear me above the noise from the engines.

"I'm coming with you!"

He started to argue, but I cut him off.

"That's my girlfriend in there, and I am not leaving her!"

The desperation in my eyes must have been enough for him to take me seriously. He just nodded and I hopped in beside Bella's still form. I knew then that I would never leave her side again. Our relationship was now on a new level and I only prayed that Bella would make it through this so that I could hold her in my arms forever and share my life with her.

As the helicopter lifted off the ground and made its way to the nearest trauma center, I knew that the next few days held the answers to my future.

AN: I hope you liked this one. I wanted to get it out fairly quickly. Please review for me. I read and respond to each one. Thanks!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer:

**AN: The reviews from the last chapter were awesome! I love hearing that other people enjoy my ramblings. I am so sorry for the delay in getting this one out, but my jump drive was corrupted and I lost everything including my outline and story ideas, so I had to start over with what I could remember. Thankfully I was able to retrieve my previous chapters and save them once again. I hope you all enjoy this one!**

Chapter 11

EPOV

The two medics in the helicopter were furiously working on Bella trying to assess her condition and bring up her core body temperature. It was dangerously low and staying to low for an extended period of time could lead to permanent damage to her brain and internal organs.

As I watched the one medic taking her vitals and radioing the trauma center, I sent up as many prayers as I could manage to the heavens for Bella to make it out of this unscathed.

The other medic was flushing Bella's system with heated IV fluids to help raise her temperature. I knew my time with Bella was limited. As soon as we landed she would be taken into trauma for a more specific evaluation by the team there. The doctors and staff were already on standby waiting for our arrival.

Not wanting to waste another moment with Bella, I leaned as close to her head as I could so that I could say the things that I knew I could never live without knowing I had said to her before she was taken from me at the hospital.

I leaned in gently stroking her hair because it was one of the few parts of her not covered by blankets, wires, or injury. She was barely recognizable under all of the medical paraphernalia.

"My beautiful, Bella. You have to stay strong and fight through this. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. I would have no life without you. I am going to spend the rest of my days showing you how much I love you, and I am sure that is not enough time to do it justice. I love you more than my own life,"

I whispered these words in Bella's ear not caring if the other people in the helicopter heard me or not. I would shout it from the rooftops if it would fix this disaster.

All too soon the helicopter began its descent onto the helipad at the hospital. I knew that as soon as we landed that Bella would be met by the trauma team and whisked away from me. I had no idea once she was taken from me how long it would be until I saw her again. I couldn't even begin to imagine that I may not see her again. The thought wasn't a possibility for me.

The landing was smoother than I expected. Just as I thought as soon as the helicopter was situated on the landing site the doors flew open and the medic team began yelling to the doctors and nurses waiting for Bella's arrival. I vaguely heard the information they were relaying, but my thoughts were still entirely focused on the beautiful girl about to me taken from me. I was able to kiss her head once more before she was lifted to the awaiting gurney and rushed at top speed to the waiting elevator. I swear my heart stopped beating for the briefest second when the doors shut and she was no longer in my sight.

Thankfully one of the medics took it upon himself to get me to the waiting room outside the emergency section of the hospital. I felt disconnected from myself. There was a significant portion of my soul in some other part of the hospital. Bella now held that part of me. I knew that I wouldn't be complete again until I was back with her, and saw her face.

The minutes became hours as I waited to hear from someone about Bella. At one point a kind nurse offered to contact someone for me, but I knew that I wasn't capable of talking right now. I felt horribly guilty because I knew my family would be worried about Bella, but I just couldn't muster the energy to call anyone.

After several hours a doctor appeared from the double doors at the end of the hall. This had happened several times through the evening, so I didn't pay much attention to him until he walked directly over to where I was sitting.

"Mr. Cullen?" he asked in a clear strong voice.

At the mention of my name my head shot up in his direction.

"Yes, that's me," I replied afraid to ask any questions.

"I was told that you were the gentleman that accompanied Miss Swan in from the accident scene. Are you here alone? Do you want to get your family?" he questioned again.

"Yes that was me. I am her boyfriend. We both work at the resort together. Our family is still stuck at the resort due to the avalanche blocking the road."

I couldn't stand the lack of information about Bella. I just wanted to know what was going on.

"Please Doctor, just tell me how is she? Can I see her? Is she awake?" I knew I sounded frantic, but I was dying not knowing how she was.

"On question at a time Mr. Cullen," the doctor admonished, but thankfully didn't pause in his answers to my questions.

"Miss Swan is a very lucky woman. Had she not been found when she was, the hypothermia would have done a severe amount of damage. As it stands it appears that she is fairing as well as could be expected. She has multiple lacerations to her face, but only a few stitches were required. Her left arm was broken from the impact and her ribs are bruised and one is cracked. Thankfully it did not damage her lungs. We were able to stabilize her body temperature and all other injuries appear superficial. That being said she has yet to regain consciousness. Although I am not surprised by this, the body has a way of knowing when to stay unconscious until it is safe to wake up. All the tests show that no brain damage has occurred, but only time will tell. "

As the doctor's words sunk in, I was torn between immense relief that Bella was relatively unscathed as far as injuries appeared. Nothing that wouldn't heal in time. However the knowledge that she still was unconscious was unsettling. I wanted to talk to her and tell her everything that I had come to realize in the last few hours.

"When can I see her?" I asked the doctor. I knew that even though she wasn't awake that I needed to be with her.

"They are getting her settled in a room right now. I'll have a nurse come get you as soon as she is settled. I assume you plan on staying here for the night," the doctor asked me.

"Yes, I plan in staying with Bella indefinitely," I replied. I wanted to make it clear that as long as Bella was at the hospital, I would be here with her.

The doctor nodded his head in acknowledgment and walked over to the nurse's station.

Taking a deep breath to try and settle myself, I pulled out my phone to call my family. I knew that they were as worried as I was about Bella.

Scrolling through the list of contacts, I called Alice first. Even though she and Bella had only known each other for a short time, I knew that Alice thought of Bella almost as a sister and she would be in a state of constant worry until she heard from me.

"Edward?" came a sleepy sounding Alice. I had no idea what time it was, but judging from her tone it must have been in the middle of the night.

"Yeah, Ally it's me. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Edward, don't be an ass. How's Bella? Emmett told us what happened, but we had no way off getting a hold of you. We weren't entirely sure what hospital you were going to and the road is still blocked."

Taking a deep breath I reiterated all of the information that the doctor had just told me. Alice listened intently and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god, Edward. We were all so worried about her. Everyone will be so glad to hear the news. I just know that everything will be fine now."

"I hope so Alice. This has been a definite wake up call. I can't live without her, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let her go now. I just hope we can get through this mess."

Alice sighed on the other line before speaking, "Edward it will work out. I promise. I know that explaining everything won't be fun, but Bella is a reasonable woman. She'll listen to you."

God I hoped with everything I had that Alice was right. Right now all I could think about was getting Bella to recover. The next step would be getting her to understand the events that had led to this nightmare.

I saw the nurse headed in my direction, so I quickly hung up with Alice. She wished me well, and told me to give Bella a kiss from her. I told her I would call her in the morning or if anything changed during the night.

The nurse was polite and led me to the elevators. She explained that Bella was still unconscious, but that the doctor had made arrangements for me to stay with her. I was extremely grateful to him for that. Not that I planned on leaving Bella, but at least I didn't have to fight with anyone.

We walked down a hallway and she stopped outside a partially closed doorway.

"She's in here honey. I just checked on her, and she's doing fine. Just hit the button if you need me. I am here through the night," her voice was gentle and kind. I was glad that someone like her was caring for my Bella.

I stepped through the doorway and saw the curtain was drawn around the side of the bed, therefore obscuring my view of Bella.

I walked over and stepped around the curtain. Although the doctor had detailed Bella's injuries to me, I wasn't prepared for the sight in front of me. Bella looked incredibly pale and fragile laying there in that damn hospital bed. Her left arm was already in a cast. Her face was a mess of scrapes and cuts, a few with stitches. There were wires and tubes tangled across her leading to various machines and IV poles.

My knees nearly buckled seeing her all broken and still in that damn bed. It was heartbreaking to realize that in some way this was partially my fault. Rationally I knew that it was a big misunderstanding and that Bella's past was an influence as well, but I couldn't help feeling blame. Bella was truly a selfless, loving person who deserved none of the shit she had been through. I knew I would spend the rest of my life doing everything I could to make her realize just how much I loved her.

As carefully as I could I reached out for Bella's uninjured hand and held it in my own. Her skin was still as soft as I remembered. I sat down in the chair that was beside her bed and watched her even breathing. If you didn't know better you would think she was sleeping. Unfortunately I did know better.

I have no idea how long I sat there holding Bella's hand and rubbing soft circles onto its back, but eventually the nurse that had shown me to Bella's room stepped through the door. I gave her a brief glance and nod before resuming my gaze onto Bella's still features.

"Here, hon. I brought you some scrubs to throw on. You have to be uncomfortable in your gear there. Why don't you go and wash up in the bathroom while I check on her?" her voice was gentle but firm.

The last thing I wanted to do was leave Bella's side for even a minute, but I knew that sitting here in all my gear would eventually get unbearable. I hadn't realized what I had been wearing at the time, but now that someone had mentioned it the realization hit me.

I simply nodded in her direction before leaning over and kissing Bella's forehead.

"I'll be right back, beautiful," I whispered against her skin before grabbing the scrubs the nurse offered and hurrying to the bathroom to change.

I changed quickly and washed up as best I could in the small sink. I honestly didn't care about anything besides getting back to Bella. As soon as I was done I went straight back to sitting in the chair beside Bella's bedside. I grabbed her hand again and started rubbing it with my fingers. The nurse was writing some things down in Bella's chart.

"You know they say that even when people are unconscious they can hear what is going on around them. You should talk to her. I'm sure she is listening," said the nurse in her calm voice before leaving the room.

Having the medical background needed for the rescues on the resort, I had heard this information before. I knew that I wanted to say so many things to Bella right now, but some of them needed to be after she was awake. Knowing this, I took a deep breath and leaned closer to her beautiful face.

"Bella, I have so much I need to say to you, baby. I need you to wake up for me. I can't imagine what you were feeling when you saw what you did, but I swear to you I would never and will never hurt you. I love you more that my own life is worth. I plan on spending every moment of the rest of my life making sure you know that. Please, beautiful come back to me. I love you more that I can ever say in words," My voice was cracking as I plead for her to wake up for me. I didn't want to delve into any explanations about what happened, but I wanted her to know how much I loved her and needed her to be in my life.

After another period of unknown amount of time had passed, I felt the sheer pull of exhaustion tugging at me. I had no intention of leaving her side though. Instead I laid my head down on her bed beside the hand that I was holding and closed my eyes promising myself that I would only close them briefly to recharge my energy. However once my eyes drifted closed, the sheer exhaustion took over and I fell asleep holding onto Bella's hand as if it was my anchor to survival.

My dreams drifted from images of Bella and me together, to images of Bella alone, and finally settling on the horrific memories of the avalanche and rescue. I desperately tried to awaken so that those images would vacate my mind, but it seemed fruitless. What was worse is that it seemed that in addition to those images was the distant voice of Bella calling my name over and over again. It was so unsettling to hear my name coming from the woman I loved, but she seemed so far away.

Eventually I heard my name being spoken even louder, "Edward. Edward, wake up!"

_What the hell! Who was telling me to wake up? This was getting out of control. _

Slowly though my subconscious started pointing it together and I realized that the voice I was hearing was not in my dreams, but was beside me calling my name.

Slowly the realization set in and I realized that the person calling my name was Bella. She was awake! She was awake and I was stupidly in a half state between dreaming and awareness. As soon as this reality sunk in, I jerked my head up and looked at the most beautiful sight in the world. The woman I loved was staring right back at me with those amazingly beautiful brown eyes.

"Oh my beautiful, Bella, I have never been so happy to see that beautiful face of yours than I am right now," I spoke these words in a fierce but hushed voice not wanting to startle her, but I needed her to hear my words.

I watched her facial expression to from surprise to confusion as my words sunk in. I could only imagine what was running through her head right now. Not only did she think that I was kissing Tanya and repeating the most atrocious time in her life, but she most likely had no idea what the hell had happened to land her here in this hospital and most likely in a fair amount of pain.

Before I could open my mouth to begin to explain any of this Bella spoke in a raspy whisper, "Edward, what happened? Where am I?"

Taking a deep breath, I sorted through my thoughts trying to decide what to say first, I desperately wanted to explain about the mishap with that bitch Tanya to clear that up right away, but I knew that it was not at the top of the priority list right now.

As quickly as possible, I filled Bella in on the logistics of the avalanche, the rescue, and her injuries as a result of everything. I resisted telling her about the events leading up to the avalanche or to the revelations that I had come to since the disastrous event that very well could have taken her from my life permanently.

Bella listened intently to my explanations and nodded now and then to let me know she was taking all the information in, but she never said anything directly to me in words. When I finished talking I waited letting everything I had just said sink in for her. I wasn't sure what I expected from her, but when she finally did speak, her words nearly broke my heart.

"Okay I understand now why I am here in the hospital, and I vaguely remember the accident. The beginning at last, but I am still unclear about something."

Her voice was barely a whisper as she continued with the most painful question I could imagine at that moment, "Edward, why are you here with me?"

I knew then that I had a lot to explain to her and none of it would be easy. I sent up what seemed like the hundredth plea to the heavens that she would listen to me and believe me when I explained this mess to her.

Taking a deep breath trying to calm my nerves, I looked at her beautiful face and opened my mouth to speak.

**AN: Once again, I apologize for the delay in posting. I swear it was not my intention and I will try not to go so long again. I know when I am reading a story, long delays in posts drive me nuts. So thanks to my readers in advance for your patience. Please read and review! I love each and every one!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

AN: Sorry again for the delay. The holidays are a crazy time, but I promise to update as soon as I can. Enjoy the chapter!

BPOV

As reality began to surface I knew that I must have landed in the pits of Hell. There was no way that I could feel as atrocious as I did and still be anywhere else. Every breath that fikled my lungs was met with a deep burn that only intensified when I attempted to deepen my breathing. That alone was torture enough, but it was also accompanied by a painful ache that traveled down my left arm in repeated bursts.

Although I was aware of these various pains and aches, I wasn't completely cognizant of where I was, or what the hell was going on. My rational mind knew that I wasn't truly in Hell, but I was hard pressed to think of a better description at this moment. I knew that opening my eyes would most likely present me with some answers, but I wasn't sure I wanted to face them just yet.

I continued to lay there not allowing my eyes to open and tried to find a breathing pattern that was the least uncomfortable. Unfortunately there seemed to be little difference in the pain levels no matter how I breathed. Realizing that the pain was not going to improve in the near future, I decided to open my eyes and attempt to make sense of my current situation.

When my eyes finally opened, everything appeared somewhat hazy. Almost as if I had been asleep for an extended time. Blinking rapidly, my vision cleared and I was able to look around. It dawned on me that I was lying in a hospital room surrounded by beeping machines and other apparatuses that seemed to be connected to various tubes and wires that were apparently attached to my body in various locations.

Having had multiple injuries and accidents in my lifetime, the components of a hospital room were anything but foreign to me. The question though was what had happened to land me here this time. Currently the memories were still hazy. I briefly closed my eyes again to try and conjure up some idea of what I had done to land myself here. Flashes were popping into my mind, although none were crystal clear.

Feeling utterly frustrated at my inability to put it all together, I opened my eyes again to see if I could maybe call a nurse. Most nurses were kindhearted and helpful. Hopefully I could find one that would tell me what the hell was going on.

Realizing that my left arm was useless in order to help me reach the call button for the nurse, I turned my head to the other side to locate the needed button, and the sight that met my eyes made me gasp. Edward was asleep in a chair beside my bed. His head was resting on the edge of my bed and his hand was pressed into the covers beside me, His face looked to be in a constant state of worry. His brow was creased and his face was unshaven and scruffy. As I looked him over, I realized that he was dressed in a set of green hospital scrubs.

His hair was in a crazier state of disarray than I had ever seen it before. Even with all of this though, he was still the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. I started to reach my hand out to gently wake him up when my brain decided that now was the perfect time to clue me into how I had gotten myself here.

Images flashed through my mind filling in the void that was previously there: the dance, Tanya wrapped around Edward, leaving the cabin, the wall of snow crashing into my truck. All of it was flooding back to me in a torrent of disturbing reality.

I had a vague idea about what might have landed me her, but it was still incredibly foggy to me. Oddly enough though, I was less concerned about what had happened to put me in the hospital, and I was more puzzled by Edward's presence. I had no idea why he would be here with me, and not with Tanya. I remembered enough to realize that he was obviously interested in her and not me. I had been down this road before and I knew how the story ended. I would not be looking at a happily ever after this time around.

Part of me desperately wanted to hold onto Edward no matter how wrong that was. I could easily drift back to sleep and revel in the fact that for the moment Edward was here with me, but I knew deep down that prolonging the inevitable would only lead to more intense agony later on.

Fighting against what my heart wanted most, I reached out and gently nudged Edward to see if he would wake up. Apparently he was more asleep than I realized because he didn't budge at my touch. Trying again I also whispered his name. Apparently my voice was not recovered just yet.

Mustering my resolve and my voice I tried again this time much louder than the previous attempt.

"Edward. Edward, wake up!"

It took a few delayed seconds before reality must have reached Edward in his slumber, but he eventually opened his eyes and jerked his head back looking at me with a mixtue of relief and concern.

He started speaking in earnest almost as soon as his eyes opened, and the words were music to my ears, "Oh my beautiful, Bella, I have never been so happy to see that beautiful face of yours than I am right now."

God those words were magical. I savored the sound of his voice for the briefest moment before I let reality take over. Why in the world was Edward even here? His words sounded wonderful to me, but I knew that they held little value given he was kissing Tanya not that long ago. Although truthfully I had no idea how long ago that was. I had so many unanswered questions and my mind was still lagging at the ability to connect everything together.

I knew that hearing anymore beautiful words and phrases from Edward would only serve to heighten the emotional pain that was sure to be headed my way I figured the best course of action was to get some answers.

So I gathered my courage and asked the most pertinent questions first, "Edward, what happened? Where am I?"

Edward paused briefly and took a take a deep breath, before quickly filling me in on the events related to the avalanche, the accident, my rescue, and lastly my injuries.

I wish I could say that I was surprised by all that he had told me, but honestly I was such an accident prone individual that nothing surprised me anymore. At least now I could put the pieces together related to my current health and location. However it still didn't answer the questions about why he was here with me. As much as I hated to open that wound right now, I knew that I didn't want to drag this out either. Unfortunately past experience had taught me better than that.

Stealing myself for the inevitable I asked the burning question that Edward had obviously avoided answering in his explanation, "Okay I understand now why I am here in the hospital, and I vaguely remember the accident. The beginning at least, but I am still unclear about something."

"Edward, why are you here with me?"

I braced myself for the worst as Edward looked at me with a measured gaze before looking away from me and taking a deep breath. I knew what was coming, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to try and predict the words he might use. Nothing however prepared me for what Edward said next.

"Bella, I can't even begin to imagine what was going through your mind when you walked into that hallway and saw what you did. I will live every day regretting that I had any part in that pain for you, but I swear to you that it wasn't what you thought. I would never and will never hurt you if I can prevent it. Tanya grabbed me as I was leaving the men's room and kissed me. As soon as I realized what the hell was happening I pushed her away. I will spend the rest of my life making all of this up to you if you'll let me. The events of the past day have made me come to some serious realizations. I honestly can't imagine a life without you in it. My life would have ceased to have any meaning if anything had happened to you in that accident," his voice was ragged with emotion as he pleaded with me to believe his words.

There was no doubt in my mind that Edward was speaking the truth. The fault in the situation wasn't his to bear. I knew deep down that the fault was more mine than his. I let my past dictate my future and it was so wrong. James' decisions and actions should have no bearing on Edward's and my relationship. I knew that I was going to have to do my fair share of accepting blame in this mess, too.

Finding the strength to admit my faults to Edward was easier than I thought. I knew that he wasn't the only one that couldn't live without the other. At some point I had given my entire self to him and I hadn't even realized it.

My voice was still raspy and the emotions bubbling under the surface added to the ragged quality of my words, "Edward please stop for a minute I need to say something, too."

He hesitated for a minute looking torn between continuing his pleas and honoring my request. In the end I guess he decided to let me have this one, and he simply nodded at me.

"Edward, I can't let you do that."

His eyes immediately filed with fear and an urgency that almost made me stop what I was going to say.

"Bella, please let me try!"

"Edward, calm down and let me finish," I spoke as forcefully as I could. He once again nodded at me, but the panic was still present in his face.

"Edward, I didn't mean it that way. I meant that you can't take the blame for this situation. I am responsible in a great part to why we are sitting here now. I should have never let my past hold so much power over my life. If I had taken a minute to think this through, I would have realized that you would never hurt me intentionally. I need to let the past be in the past and let my own decisions guide my future, and the first thing I want to do is make sure you know that I can't be without you either. I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point in the past few weeks I have completely fallen for you." At these words I gently reached my hand up to cup his cheek.

Edward remained in the same position that he had held the entire time I was talking not moving in the slightest. I knew that he would need to process everything that I had just said to him, but I was starting to get anxious as the time ticked by and he still didn't speak. I was just about to ask him if he was alright when he leaned forward over my body, careful not to jostle the many tubes and wires attached to me and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was gentle but firm.

I knew then as Edward kissed me that he understood what I had been saying and that we would take this chance and move forward. I knew without a doubt that Edward and I were going to do everything we could to make our relationship stronger.

Too soon we heard a throat clear from the foot of the bed and Edward pulled back from my face making sure to keep eye contact with me the entire time.

"Well I see our patient is feeling much better now isn't she?" spoke a pleasant voice.

Edward chuckled and turned to face a pleasant looking nurse, who had an amused expression on her face.

"Yes, I do believe she is feeling much better," he replied before looking back to me.

The look he gave me was filled with so much emotion and caring that it made my whole body feel warm and tingly.

"Well the doctor will be glad to hear that Miss Bella is awake and seems to be quite alert I might add. Why don't you go call your family while I check over some things with our patient," the kind nurse told Edward as she walked over and began checking the various machines and tubes around my bedside.

Edward looked torn between leaving my side and calling his family. I knew that they must have been frantic waiting back at the resort, so I told him to go and call everyone and that I would be fine.

He hesitated for a brief moment before kissing my forehead once more and stepped out of the room.

"That boy is certainly smitten with you dear. If I wasn't younger and happily married I might give you a run for your money," she chuckled as she busied herself taking notes in my chart.

"I guess I should be glad that you are both of those things then because I doubt that I would be in any shape to fight you off at this point," I quipped back instantly liking her demeanor.

"Oh honey, I don't think you have any worries that boy there is head over heels for you! I have been doing the job long enough to know love when I see it, and that boy loves you more than life itself. Mark my words that one there is a keeper!"

I simply nodded at her because she had stuck a thermometer in my mouth the moment before and made it impossible to talk back to her. Although at that moment I was kind of glad for the lack of ability to speak because her words were ringing through me.

_Love? Could he really love me?_

The thought was both astounding and terrifying at the same time. I knew that I most definitely loved Edward, but were we both at that point yet? I knew that given all that had happened that this particular discussion would have to wait until a later time.

She quickly finished up her evaluation and completed her notes in my chart.

"Well I am sure the doctor will want to see you himself shortly. I'll let him know that you are awake and doing well," she said to me on her way out the door. Edward must have passed her in the doorway because I heard him offer a greeting before he stepped into the room and walked quickly to the side of the bed. He leaned down and gently kissed my head again before settling back into the seat at my bedside. Just having him there made me feel markedly more calm and assured.

I was just about to ask him about his calls home to his family when a man in a white lab coat walked through the door. Edward stood up and shook his hand, obviously having met him before.

"Good morning, doctor," Edward greeted him warmly.

"Well I can see that it really is a good morning, now that our friend here has decided to join us," he replied looking at me and smiling.

I smiled back at him because it truly was a good morning. After what I had thought was going to be the outcome of Edward and I talking and the actual result, I couldn't be more ecstatic. Although now that I was coming down from the euphoria of realizing that Edward really did want me and not Tanya, my body was starting to voice its opinion and it was not happy.

The doctor noticing my grimace walked over to my other side not occupied by Edward and began checking over my injuries, including the ones on my face that I had previously failed to notice.

I seriously wondered if I wanted to know exactly how awful I must look at this point. Given how I was feeling, I knew that it wouldn't be pretty.

"Well Miss Swan, given all that you went through, I can honestly say that you are one lucky lady. Had you not be rescued as quickly as you were I am sure the outcome would have been much worse. As it stands your injuries are going to heal in time and my guess is that you will have plenty of TLC when you get home. Just to be on the safe side though, I would like to keep you one more night for observation before sending you home though. I am sure that Mr. Cullen can keep you entertained for at least one more day," he glanced at Edward before looking back to me.

I looked over at Edward and I knew that he wasn't going to leave my side any time in the near future.

"Okay," I replied. I was getting really sleepy from the emotional roller coaster and from having been through so much physical trauma and I felt my eyes getting heavy on their own accord.

"Why don't you get some rest and I will check back again tomorrow before you are discharged," the doctor advised before shaking Edward's hand again and walking from the room.

I turned to look at Edward again because after everything that had happened, I couldn't refrain from looking at him as often as possible.

"Beautiful, get some rest. I promise I will be right here when you wake up. I am not leaving you again," his words were fierce but spoken in a calm reassuring voice. I nodded in response too tired to speak and let sleep overtake me for the moment.

***

I had no idea how long I had slept, but when I opened my eyes the darkness outside the window told me that it was sometime in the evening. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from my eyes, I looked over to see Edward snoozing in the chair beside my bed. He really had not left my side.

Part of me was ecstatic to know he was still here as promised, but part of me felt so guilty for knowing that he hadn't changed his clothes or likely eaten since I fell asleep.

As if on cue, Edward blinked his eyes and looked at me smiling as his eyes met mine.

"Hey baby, did you get some good sleep?" he asked in his rich, velvet voice.

"Yes I did. How long was I out?"

Glancing at his watch, he answered me, "Quite awhile actually it's well past 6 now. Are you hungry? I can see what I can scrounge up for you."

"That would be great, but on one condition though."

He looked puzzled at my request, but waited for me to make my request.

"You have to get something to eat for yourself, too," I told him trying to sound stern.

He just shook his head and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. A small piece of his stomach appeared beneath the hem of the scrub shirt and made my heart flutter.

Now that was just great! Someone needed to let my hormones know that now was not the time for that, at least not for a few weeks anyway.

"I'll go see what I can find," he replied before kissing me chastely on the lips and heading out of the room.

While he was gone a different nurse popped in to help me get to the bathroom and see how my legs were working. I was surprised at how weak I felt from the ordeal. It had only been a short time, but it felt like I hadn't walked in months.

It was slow progress, but I eventually made it to the bathroom and was floored at my appearance. My face was a mess of scrapes and cuts. Apparently needing a few stitches in a few places. My hair was a nest of brown fuzz, and what skin that wasn't marred by the cuts and scrapes was covered in varying shades of purple bruises.

I swayed slightly trying to come to grips with my appearance. I knew it would all heal in time, but it was still a shock to the system.

Taking a few deep breaths that further aggravated the burn in my chest, I let the nurse settle me back in my bed. Just as I was finished getting situated, Edward came in carrying Styrofoam containers of food. My stomach grumbled in response to the smell of food.

Edward chuckled as I blushed at my stomach's noise.

"Well I am glad you are hungry because I can't promise that this will be all that appetizing.

"I honestly don't care at this point I am so hungry that I might eat the container," I replied digging in to the sandwich and fruit that he had brought me. It wasn't nearly as horrible as he had claimed and I was just glad to have something in my stomach.

We ate in silence for a few minutes before I took a minute to let the food settle in my stomach.

"I need to call my parents soon to let them know what happened."

I realized while I was in the bathroom that they would have no idea what had happened to me.

"I called them already, baby," Edward told me after swallowing his bite of food.

"I got the number from Mom at the resort. It was listed in your records. I talked to both your parents actually. They were very worried about you, but because of the snowstorm they couldn't get here. I promised them that as soon as the weather cleared we would find a way for them to get here. They were really nice on the phone, although your dad was a little shocked when I introduced myself as your boyfriend."

I blushed at his last statement. I hadn't told my parents about the extent of my relationship with Edward as of yet. I knew that I would have to come clean as soon as I talked to them. The turn our relationship had taken was too drastic to ignore or hide. Not that I wanted to.

"I'm sorry about that, Edward. I haven't had the chance to talk to them with everything at the resort being so busy. They knew I was seeing you, but not that we had made anything official yet. I promise I will talk to them about everything as soon as I can," hoping that he wasn't too angry with me about not having told my parents yet. I loved my parents and we were close, but sharing those intimate details wasn't something we did often.

Edward put his food down on the little table beside my bed and reached forward to hold my uninjured hand.

"Baby, I understand. I'm not angry with you at all. I simply told them that I would make sure that you were well taken care of and that you would have the best recovery possible. They were just glad to hear that you were doing so well," he gently stroked my cheek with his thumb and leaned forward to kiss my lips.

I sighed with contentment at his touch.

"I don't know how you can want to kiss me right now. My face is hideous," I grouched remembering the image in the mirror.

"Isabella Swan, you listen to me! I spent the last day and a half worrying about whether I would ever get to see this face again. Seeing you sitting here talking to me is the most beautiful sight in the entire world. I will never tire of looking at it as long as I live," Edward spoke with such vehemence that I was momentarily shocked.

"Okay," I whispered in response because I truly couldn't think of what else to say to him.

"Good because I plan on looking at this face for as long as I can," he stated again before sitting back in his chair and finishing his sandwich.

We both ate in comfortable silence for a few more moments until I started to feel tired again. The lack of energy was really annoying, but I had suffered enough injures to know that rest was my best defense.

I yawned and looked at Edward trying to keep my eyes open for a few more minutes.

"Baby close your eyes and get some sleep. I'll be here when you get up."

Nodding at him sleepily, I closed my eyes and drifted off into dreamless sleep.

***

I awoke again when the sun was streaming through the blinds, leaving streaks across the blanket of my bed. I glanced around the room and was jolted completely awake by the realization that Edward wasn't there in the chair beside my bed.

Rationally I knew there was a reasonable explanation for this, but I started to panic anyway. Maybe he had changed his mind, maybe something else had happened at the resort, or maybe I had dreamed everything.

"_Swan get a grip," I told myself. You need to have more faith in him than that. _

I was taking some slow deep breaths when Edward walked into the room followed by the doctor.

"Hey baby, I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. I went to get some things ready to take you home," Edward explained kissing my forehead in greeting.

I noticed that he had changed into regular clothes and I wondered where they had come from.

"That's okay. I just woke up a few minutes ago," I reassured him as well as myself, knowing I had overreacted to his absence. I was definitely going to have to retrain my brain to trust Edward without jumping to conclusions.

The doctor checked me over one last time and gave me some instructions for my care while I was at home. It seemed that I would be on bed rest for at least a week and off work for a minimum of two weeks. Not to mention that I would be in my cast for at least 4-6 weeks. As ready as I was to get out of the hospital, the fact that I as still going to be incapacitated for at least a week was not thrilling.

Edward listened carefully to all of the instructions, no doubt planning to make sure I followed each one to the letter. I knew that with Edward watching over me, I wouldn't be able to deviate from those instructions at all.

We both thanked the doctor and promised that I would come back in two weeks to have everything checked out.

Edward turned to me as the doctor left and placed a bag on my lap.

"What's this?" I asked him as I opened the bag to look at its contents.

"Clothes, baby. You can't want to go home in that gown do you?" he chuckled as he motioned towards my hospital gown.

Honestly I hadn't thought much about it.

"Well I don't think that would be a good idea, unless of course you want all of the hospital to see your girlfriend's butt!" I retorted as he growled in response to my comment.

"No one is looking at your butt except for me!" he replied only half joking.

Surprisingly the thought of Edward looking at my bare ass was less daunting than it would have previously been. Too bad it wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Well at least not in a fun way anyway!

Figuring a change in subject was in order I asked the obvious question, "How did you get me clothes?"

"I ran back to the resort this morning and Alice gave them to me. Apparently she has been shopping for you without your knowledge and had some things at her house. I also had to grab a vehicle to take you home."

"Oh well that make sense, I guess. Are the roads clear now?"

"They are passable with the right vehicle. I grabbed a ride with one of my buddies from the road crew and grabbed Emmett's jeep to take you home. My car does fine in the snow, but I didn't want to take chances with your comfort while traveling," he replied stroking his hand down the side of my face.

After I managed to change into a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a soft long sleeve shirt, Edward helped me into a wheelchair and down to the jeep. I desperately wanted to refuse the wheelchair, but I knew I didn't have that kind of energy yet.

***

I must have drifted back to sleep while we drove back to the resort because the next thing I remember was Edward scooping me up out of the jeep and carrying me to the door.

"Are we here?" I asked in my groggy state.

"Yes, beautiful, you're home now. You can go back to sleep. I'll take you straight to bed, okay?"

I must have managed a nod in response before falling back to sleep.

***

Again I must have slept several hours before waking up in a much more comfortable bed than the one I had last occupied, but it still didn't feel quite like my own. I opened my eyes slowly and realized that I was not only not in my own bed, but I wasn't in my own room either. This room was done in a deep burgundy color with dark wood accents.

"Edward?" I called out trying to muster a stronger voice in case I needed to call him again.

Within a matter of seconds Edward's head popped in the door to whatever room I was in.

"Hey beautiful, you're up. Are you hungry?" he asked as he crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed next to me leaning in to kiss me sweetly on the lips. I was definitely enjoying all the kisses Edward was dishing out in the last few days. If I was honest with myself, I was looking forward to getting more than kisses from Edward at some point in the hopefully not to distant future.

"No I'm fine right now, but I am curious about one thing though," I replied.

"What's that, beautiful?"

"Um, where exactly am I?" I questioned.

Realization dawned on his handsome face and then he began to chuckle.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't think to say anything before. You're in my house, baby. You couldn't take care of yourself without help, so I thought it would be easiest if you were here. Is that okay?" his brow furrowed in obvious concern.

I was quick to offer my reassurance, "No that's fine. I was just confused. Are you sure that this isn't too much trouble though. I don't want to invade your home."

I bit my lip in concern. As much as I wanted to be near Edward I didn't want to overstep my bounds.

"Bella, please hear me when I say this. I want you in my life, in my home, and in my presence as often as I can convince you to be here. There is no place else I want you to be."

As the last words left his mouth, Edward sealed his words by kissing me with such passion that any doubts that may have wanted to surface were completely obliterated. I was finally home.

AN: Please review. The next chapter will include more of the other family members and Bella's recovery with Edward as her personal nurse. Who wouldn't want that?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

AN: Sorry for the delay. Tis the season! I promise that it will not always take this long to update! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Chapter 13

EPOV

God kissing Bella was at the top of my list for favorite things to do. I just couldn't get enough of her lips! I had to constantly remind myself that she was in no condition to do more than this right now, but my body had other ideas. I just couldn't reconcile the fact that she was safe and here with me, and that the events of the last few days were finally behind us. I knew that although we had hashed out many of the details from that fateful night, I also knew that there was more discussion to come. My hope was that any future discussion would be on a much more pleasant note.

I still had yet to tell Bella that I loved her and that I wanted her to be with me forever. I wasn't ready for a marriage proposal quite yet, but I certainly was sure that she was it for me. How to tell her all of this was another matter. I didn't want to overwhelm her right now while she was recovering. My goal was make sure she healed and regained her strength.

Having her here in my house and in my bed was a dream come true, even if the situation that led us here was less than desirable. I would have much preferred that she was here under different circumstances, but fate handed us the current ones instead. I wasn't going to complain, either way she was here with me at least for the week anyway.

I had cleared it with Esme and Rose that I would be taking the next week off from the patrol. Emmett was more than capable of taking care of things while I was gone. In all honesty, Emmett was just as capable as I was to run the ski patrol, but he preferred to remain more low key and out of the control positions.

My entire family had been worried sick over the events of the past few days. Bella was already a part of our family whether she realized it or not. It killed them that they were stuck at the resort while I was at the hospital. Under different circumstances they would have been there waiting with me to make sure Bella was alright.

However since I brought Bella home this morning, Esme and Rosalie have called to see when would be the best time for a visit. At the time Bella was sleeping, so I told them I would call back after talking with Bella. Alice on the other hand having no such compunction came over already without calling first mind you. She could have cared less if I had said yes or no anyways.

Bella was still sleeping when Alice stopped in, but Alice went into my room to see her for herself. I think she just needed to reassure herself that Bella was really and truly going to be okay. Alice is one of the strongest people I know, but when it came to those she loved she was also fiercely protective. Bella had long since made it onto Alice's list of those she loved. I had no doubts that Alice would lynch me if I ever hurt Bella again, regardless of the purposefulness of the event.

Alice had only stayed a short time. Long enough to check on Bella and drop of some supplies that she swore Bella would love to have here.

"Girl stuff," was her simple explanation. I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but I was sure that Alice would know what she was doing.

She left to go to work for the day, but promised that she would be back this evening to check on Bella again. I know that she realizes that I am more than capable of caring for Bella, but Alice is Alice and has to check for herself.

***

Looking at the clock I saw that it was getting late and Bella was due to take some more pain medicine. Even though she had come out of this relatively unscathed, she was still uncomfortable from the shock and trauma her body had suffered during the crash.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and her medicine and made my way up the stairs to my bedroom. I pushed the door open slowly trying not to startle her.

Bella was asleep with her hair spread out around her across the pillows. Here breathing was slow and steady. Even covered in scrapes and cuts, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Walking over to the side of the bed, I gently brushed the hair from her forehead and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Hey beautiful, you need to wake up for a minute," I whispered against her cheek. I hated to wake her up, but I didn't want her to get so uncomfortable that she wouldn't be able to get the rest she needed.

"Mmmm," she mumbled stretching in small movements as she became more aware of her surroundings.

She slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times as she adjusted to the dim lighting in the room.

"Hey, what time is it?" she asked in a voice still raspy from sleep.

"It's a little after nine, but it's time to take some more medicine. Are you hungry?" I asked sitting beside her on the edge of the bed and gently rubbing her hand under mine.

"Wow, I can't believe I slept that much. I feel like all I do is sleep. I hate feeling so useless," she grumbled at me right before she yawned again.

I had to chuckle at her for that one. Only Bella would complain about too much sleep while yawning.

"Baby, the best way to get better is to sleep and rest. I know that this is not your idea of fun, but please listen to the doctor and stay in bed," I pleaded. I wanted nothing more than to have Bella back to her old self as soon as possible and if this what it took then damn it I would make sure she complied!

She grumbled a little under her breath before she nodded in acquiescence and took the medicine I offered her.

"I know that staying in bed is supposed to be for the best, but I hate being stuck in here," she proclaimed with the sweetest pout on her lips. Seeing that full bottom lip all jutted out was too much to resist, so I leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips.

Her reaction was immediate and she kissed me back firmly. God she tasted phenomenal! All too soon I slowed our kiss down and placed a few more chaste kisses on her lips before sitting back.

"Mmmm, that gives me a few ideas that might make being stuck in this bed a lot more bearable," Bella whispered in a deep husky voice.

I groaned because my body, specifically the area below my waist was in complete agreement with Bella's musings.

"Bella," I warned her.

"Believe me I would like nothing better than to show you the many ways that this bed can provide you with entertainment, but you are in no shape for that right now. Just the thought alone is enough to send me over the edge!"

"Hmphh." Was her only reply, but I knew that she was well aware of the fact that she was in no shape for any extracurricular activities just yet, but by god I hoped it wouldn't be too much longer!

"I know, Edward, but I just want to feel close to you. All of this has given me quite a bit of perspective and I don't want to waste a minute or take anything for granted," her voice was filled with so much emotion that it made me chest tighten. I knew that I wasn't the only one affected by the events of the past week, but it was heartwarming to hear Bella say those words nonetheless.

"Baby, I know how you feel believe me I do. I will do everything in my power for the rest of my life to make sure you know that," I told her. I still had not spoken those three little words, but this was as close as I could without just blurting it out. I wanted to make sure that when I told Bella that it was special and meaningful. Sitting here in my bedroom right after her accident didn't feel like the right time to spill the beans so to speak.

She sighed in response, but I knew that she understood our current limitations.

"Will you at least sleep here with me tonight?" she asked in a tentative whisper.

"Of course I will, baby," I whispered against her hair as I leaned in to kiss the top of her head. There was no way I could deny her anything, but to be honest I wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her and know that she was safe here with me.

She nodded in acknowledgement and yawned deeply, the meds already taking effect.

I quickly changed into some flannel pajama pants and a soft t-shirt before crawling into the bed beside her. I was careful to not jostle her too much as I wrapped my arm around her waist. She snuggled closer to my chest and let out a deep sigh of contentment.

"Night, Edward." She murmured before finally drifting off to sleep.

"Night, beautiful. Love you," I whispered back knowing full well that she couldn't hear me, but wanting to say it nonetheless.

***

BPOV

The past week had flown by rather quickly. I was almost back to the point of feeling close to human again, minus the cast and remaining healing scrapes. I could breathe without pain anymore and the bruises were fading to a yellowish hue that was hopefully soon gone.

Edward had been fabulous to me while I recovered. He was so attentive and caring. I couldn't have asked for anything better. As each day passed I grew more and more certain that Edward was the man I was destined to be with forever. Although we had yet to have any serious discussion on the matter, I was ready to tell him I loved him. It just never seemed quite right.

In my defense I was asleep quite a bit for the first few days that I was home from the hospital and our talking was minimal at best. Thankfully I was off the pain meds and markedly more coherent these days.

Edward had taken me back to see the doctor this morning and I was given clearance to begin resuming my regular activities albeit in moderation. The doctor however did tell me that I had to stay home for at least another week though to make sure that I had regained my strength. I wasn't thrilled to be off for more time, but I also knew that my body wasn't totally recovered just yet.

Alice had been to visit every day to check on me, and I was so grateful for our friendship. She had even told me about decking Tanya and I was immensely satisfied that the bitch got what was coming to her. Although I would have liked to have dealt that blow myself!

It was great to have Alice to talk to every day. Edward was always available for conversation or to just keep me company, but it was nice to talk to Alice about girl topics. One of which happened to be her brother. Alice had confided in me just how devastated Edward had been when he found out what I had seen. I knew that Edward had felt horrible for the circumstances surrounding the accident, but hearing it from Alice shed a whole new light on the matter.

I also shared with Alice that my feelings for her brother ran very deep. I didn't feel it would be fair to tell her that I loved him before I actually told Edward, but I am fairly certain she understood what I was saying.

***

It was the day after my doctor's appointment, and I was currently sitting on Edward's couch with a book on my lap, but I wasn't reading anything. My mind was to preoccupied to concentrate on the words in front of me. Yesterday's doctor's appointment had been great as far as my health was concerned, but it had left me unsure about some other things. Now that I was given the green light so to speak to resume life as normal, I wasn't sure where that left Edward and me as far as me going back to my cabin.

The last week had been so comfortable and natural living with Edward. The injuries and physical pain aside, it had felt so right sharing a home with him. I doubted that I would ever be able to sleep without him beside me again. I had never felt as secure and dare I say loved as I had with Edward wrapped around me while I slept. Now I wasn't sure what to do about it. Obviously we needed to have a serious conversation, but I wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

As if Edward was reading my thoughts, he walked over to the couch and lifted my feet up before sitting back down and laying my feet across his lap and gently rubbing my feet and ankles.

"Hey there beautiful, you look deep in thought. Is the book that good, or is your mind elsewhere?" he asked with a look of concern on his face.

I knew I wasn't fooling him in the slightest, so trying to lie was pointless, but I wasn't sure what to say exactly. How do you start this type of conversation?

Well I didn't think I could hold out any longer, so I took a deep breath and plunged right in.

"I guess I'm not quite sure where we go from here," I said to him.

Edward looked concerned at these words and I could see his jaw tighten,

"Um, I'm not sure exactly you are referring to baby," Edward said with a slight note of worry in his voice.

I immediately realized that he thought I was talking about things between us not going well, when I was actually wondering how I could tell him I wanted to move forward with him.

"Edward, it's not what you think. I've never felt like this about anyone before. This past week has been wonderful for me. I have never felt so cared for and comfortable before in my life. I'm just afraid that now that I can go home that things will feel different in some way. I don't want to lose what I feel right now," I felt so awkward telling him all of this without just saying I loved him out loud.

Edward listened to me intently and visibly relaxed as I was speaking until his face broke out into a huge grin.

Instead of answering me, he leaned forward and scooped me up to sit on his lap.

He slowly brushed my hair back from face and turned my face to look directly at him.

"Baby, I feel all the same things as you do. I was thinking along those very same lines myself. I have loved having you next to me each night and waking up every morning with you in my arms. I wasn't sure how to bring all this up either. I guess we both need to get better about talking through our feelings with each other."

I simply nodded at him too stunned to speak, I was glad to hear that he was feeling the same as I was though.

He must have realized that I wasn't going to say anything because he started speaking again in a low, husky voice, "Bella, I know that it is too soon to ask you to move in here with me, but I think that we are both wanting the same thing. I think that for now we can just agree to be together as often as we want and we can discuss a permanent solution at a later date. I know that I am not willing to let you out of my sight for any length of time in the near future though, so you'd better get used to me being around a lot!"

"Isabella Marie Swan, I am hopelessly in love with you. Nothing in the world will ever change that. I have never told another woman that before and I plan on you being the only woman to hear me say these words."

The words just didn't seem enough, so I figured actions were my best response.

I turned my upper body to face him and placed my hands on each side of his face and kissed him with all the passion and emotion I could at that moment.

Somehow the perfect moment I had been waiting for was here right in front of me and I knew that I wanted to tell Edward the same thing.

"Oh Edward, I am so in love with you!"

He seemed stunned for a moment before he began kissing me back, his hands trailing up my neck and tangling in my hair. Our kisses became more passionate as our tongues began to explore each other, and I quickly forgot what we had been doing just a few minutes before. I was willing to let this go as far as possible. I had wanted this for so long now that I was ready to be with Edward in all aspects.

Edward slowed down our kisses, but instead of stopping he placed hot, open mouth kisses along my jaw and down my neck to my collarbone. I could feel my heart racing as I leaned back to give him more access. My skin was on fire and I was breathing in quick gasps.

"God Bella, you taste so good, baby," Edward groaned against my skin. I wanted nothing more than to lead Edward up the stairs to his bedroom and finally be with him, but as I started to shift off his lap Edward stopped kissing me and looked worriedly up at me.

"Bella. I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" he asked in a worried tone. He looked so contrite that I almost laughed at him, but I thought better of it.

"No Edward I'm fine. I just thought that we should continue this upstairs. I don't think the couch is an ideal place given the circumstances," I told him as I continued to shift off his lap and hold out my hand to him.

It took the briefest of moments for my words to sink in. As realization dawned on Edward's face though, his eyes darkened and his face filled with lust and longing. I am sure my face mirrored his. Without another word he gently scooped me up in his arms and kissed me thoroughly once again before walking us up the stairs to his bedroom.

AN: Please review! I promise that I will have a lemon the next chapter. I will not let it go here and skip over the good stuff! I loved to know what you think and anything that you might like to see in future chapters.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: First off this is my first attempt at writing a lemon. Let me know what your thoughts are, but please be kind. I wanted to write it well without being gross or raunchy. Second I don't usually alternate points of view multiple times in a chapter, but I did in this one to try and show both sides without having to rewrite the same chapter from the other's perspective. I know that can get boring real fast. Sorry for the long AN. On with the chapter!

Chapter 14

EPOV

My emotions were in overdrive as I carried Bella gently up the stairs to my bedroom. I couldn't believe the events that had just unfolded around us. Here I had been worrying and stressing over how to tell her that I loved her and it just happened so naturally and it felt magnificent!

Having finally uttered those three powerful words to the woman of my dreams was the most significant moment in my life thus far. I had heard others speak about what this moment would feel like and to be honest I had thought they were exaggerating just a little, but now I knew exactly what they had been talking about.

Sharing that depth of love and emotion with another person was all consuming and incredibly powerful. Knowing that the person I had given my heart to felt the same about me was such an awe inspiring moment that there were no words.

As I held her in my arms and reached the doorway to my bedroom, I knew that waiting to share this moment with Bella had been the right decision. Other parts of me had readily disagreed on many occasions, but there was just something to be said for making love to the woman that you loved that was inherently more special than having sex with a woman that you just desired physically.

Bella was all of these things and some that I couldn't explain. I knew that although I desired her more than I could fathom at any given moment that I would be making love to a woman for the first time in my life and I intended to do this right.

BPOV

As Edward carried me up the stairs towards his bedroom, I knew without a doubt that this was the right choice for me and for us. I was completely ready to be with him in every way. Though the path that had lead us here was not exactly smooth, it had by far brought us closer together than anything I could imagine. This was the last step for us in sharing and showing our love.

Edward carried me to his bed and gently laid me done on the soft comforter. His eyes never leaving mine as he leaned down and lay along side me. We were lying on our sides facing each other and there was a dim glow of the light from the hallway coming through the doorway.

Edward reached up and ran his hand down the side of my face and it came to rest on my chest just above my breast. Even that subtle touch had my heart racing and my breath speeding up. I could see the love and desire in his eyes as he looked at me with such intensity that I wanted to never look away from him.

He repeated the motion of stroking my jaw line and shoulders several more times, but with each pass he brought his face closer to mine until his lips were less than an inch from mine.

"Bell, I love you more than I could ever express in words. I want you to never doubt that," he whispered against my lips. The emotion behind his words was evident.

"Baby, I love you, too," I whispered back before closing the distance that separated us and crushing my lips to his in hopes of solidifying my words.

God he tasted amazing. This was just a taste that was uniquely Edward. It was sweet, sensual, and masculine. I knew that no matter what I would never tire of his taste. We kissed for what seemed like forever. We shared slow tender kisses and kisses that were a fight of dominance between our tongues that never seemed to end. I never felt rushed or the need to move to another phase. It was natural and all about exploring each other.

Edward's lips never left mine, but he began to trail his hand down my jaw to my neck and then to my shoulder, pausing to caress the exposed skin of my collarbone. His gentle touch on my skin raised goose bumps and sent my heart racing again. It shocked me that such a simple thing could send me over the edge so quickly. I certainly hoped that my heart could keep up as things progressed.

After a moment he continued to trail his hand down my arms and over my side. Eventually coming to rest on the exposed skin of my waist where my shirt had risen up. This time though he paused for the briefest of seconds before sliding his adept fingers under the hem of my shirt and up towards the base of my bra. The skin he passed over as he proceeded towards my chest blazed at his touch. His hands were gentle but firm as they caressed my flesh.

I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips as he ran his hands over my breasts and I felt my nipples harden even more at his touch. I would have been embarrassed at the noises that escaped me if I could have conjured a coherent thought at that moment, but I was too lost in Edward's hands and lips to care.

Edward apparently beingg spurred on by my sounds and rolled us so that I was on top of him, and he was now trailing hot opened mouth kisses down my jaw while he worked my shirt over and off my body being careful to not jostle the arm still in a cast. It was a pain in the ass to deal with, but I was sure as to hell not going to let that piece of plaster get in the way. As fast as the shirt was off, my bra joined it somewhere on the floor and Edward attached his hot lips to my breast.

_Shit! That felt amazing!_

The sensations coursed through me and traveled downwards to ignite everything in its wake. Once Edward had finished with one side he kissed his way over to the other, obviously not wanting to leave my other breast out on the action. Needless to say the other breast was just as happy to have his attentions.

EPOV

Rolling so that Bella was on her back and I was hovered over her, I continued my assault on her luscious breasts. God everything about her was better than my imagination could have guessed. Her skin was smooth and smelled delicious.

Her breasts, which were the current focus of my minstrations were absolutely perfect! I was enthralled with every new area of Bella that I discovered.

Bella obviously wanting to even the field forcefully tugged at my shirt, but her injured arm was slowing her progress tremendously. I quickly detached myself from her skin to remove my shirt and gazed at the goddess before me.

"Beautiful," I whispered as I resumed to my kissing and made my way down her silky skin to the waist of her yoga pants. Finally reaching this moment and being able to show Bella my love in all ways possible was amazing and mind blowing to say the least.

I knew that any time I had spent with a woman in the past though physically satisfying, it had been emotionally void of anything special. This moment with Bella, showering her with all the attention I could lavish at one moment was millions of miles apart from any other encounters in my past. This was making love.

Bella writhed under me and her hips lifted up looking for any friction they could find. God she was the sexiest woman I had ever seen and she was mine!

"Edward,,,please," came Bella's husky voice begging for something, anything at that moment.

"What baby?" I whispered back as I slowly began to lower her pants down her smooth thighs taking my time to honor each passing inch of her creamy skin with my lips and hands.

"Edward, I need you, please!" she rasped back at me trying to catch her breath enough to speak evenly with no success. Seeing her in such need of me almost made me lose my focus and forget about doing this right. There would never be another first time between us, and I was determined to make this memorable and special.

Instead of answering her with words, I slowly lowered her lacy panties down her thighs in the same fashion I had removed her pants. I knew that as soon as she was bare for me that I would have to muster all of my self control and not dive right in so to speak.

_God I was right! _

As I inched my way back up her legs and was faced with the vision of Bella lying naked before me, I almost lost it completely. She was breathtaking. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted as she tried to steady her rapid breathing.

She was calling to me in every way possible and she had no idea of her pull over me.

Sliding my hands up her thighs, I gently grazed my fingertips over where she wanted me most and she let out a groan that shot straight to my dick. I groaned back in response to the warmth that spread down my fingers as I increased my pace and pressure.

"Unghh…Edward that feels…," Bella breathed out at me as her hips writhed under my touch.

"God, Bella you feel so good!" I moaned back at her. The feeling of Bella on my fingers was sheer pleasure! I could tell she was getting close to her release as my movements increased in speed and intensity.

"Edward, I'm so close!"

With a twist of my hand and a few more movements Bella came undone. She was writhing against my hand and gasping for breath. It was the most amazing sight to behold.

"Edward that was … amazing!" she proclaimed as she looked up at me with heavy lidded eyes.

Before I could respond to her though she trailed her hands down my body to the waist band of my jeans and quickly undid the button and zipper. Her soft little hand was in my boxers and surrounding my length in a matter of moments. The sensations were incredible. She wrapped her hand around me and began a slow, steady rhythm that was nothing short of sheer torture.

BPOV

The feel of Edward's length in my hand was electrifying. As I passed my hand over his smooth, hard length I began to feel that pull in my lower stomach again. I could hardly believe that I was aroused again so quickly after the orgasm Edward had just given me. It's not to say that I haven't had an orgasm before, but they had never been to such a ferocious intensity before. Somehow with Edward it was all consuming and powerful.

Apparently Edward was feeling the same as I was because his breathing was becoming more and more erratic with each stroke of my hand.

"Bella…baby.. you need to stop. I want to be with you when I come," he pleaded and I could tell that he was stealing all his self control to make this plea.

_God I was coming undone all over again!_

Choosing action over words, I released him and pulled my hand out of his boxers before pushing them down with his pants the best I could with one hand. He must have sensed my struggles and relieved himself of his clothing in one swift motion.

_Holy shit! He was the most gloriously magnificent man I had ever seen, Adonis be damned!_

His eyes made contact with mine and they never wavered.

He positioned himself between my thighs and continued to look at me with such love and intensity that I knew that I was being made love to for the first time.

"Bella, I love you more than you could ever know," he whispered before kissing me and pushing forward to enter me for the first time.

I was hit by a tidal wave of emotions both from his declarations of love and the sensations coursing through me as he continued a steady rhythm.

"Oh god Edward, I love you too!"

I could barely string together a thought as he sent sensations running through me that were electrifying in their intensity. I knew at that moment that I would never want to be with another man. This was it for me. Everyone in my past was simply leading me to Edward.

Much too soon for either of our liking we began to reach our climax together. Edward was increasing his pace and I was meeting him with my hips. I could tell by his change in breathing that he was on the verge and just that thought alone brought me to the brink as well.

"Edward come with me," I breathed in his ear as his head dropped to me shoulder and he let out a muffled groan.

"Fuck," he gasped as he reached his release at the same time as I reached mine.

"Mmmmmm," was my very intelligent response. I honestly couldn't think of anything else at the moment that was a better response. My nerves were tingling and my muscles felt like jello.

Edward gathered his breathing and thoughts first and began to move off of me, much to my dismay. I wanted him to stay that close forever, but I knew that wasn't realistic. A girl can dream though can't she. I could think of worse ways to spend the rest of my life!

As he rolled to his side, Edward pulled me with him and I snuggled into his neck wrapping my arms and leg around him.

"I love you," I whispered as my eyes grew heavy with sleep. I was exhausted. Between the amazing night I had just spent with Edward and the recovery my body was still undergoing I could hardly hold my eyes open.

"Love you too, beautiful," Edward whispered back into my hair as he placed a gentle kiss on my head before I drifted off to sleep.

***

EPOV

I could feel a tickling sensation running across my stomach and I was seriously debating on the worth of seeing what it was versus staying in this perfect moment awhile longer.

After Bella had drifted off to sleep last night, I had held her and whispered my words of love to her until some point in the middle of the night. I still couldn't quite fathom the fact that I could now tell Bella how I felt anytime I felt like it. Not to mention the fact that I could now show her, too!

Last night had been the most amazing night of my whole life and I was thrilled that I was lying in my bed with the woman of my dreams in my arms.

_Damn! The tickling sensation was increasing to the point that it no longer could be ignored. _

I slowly opened my eyes to adjust to the light streaming through the window blinds and looked down to see that the source of the tickling was Bella's fingers running an abstract pattern on my skin.

"Good morning handsome," she purred before leaning down to kiss my chest.

"Good morning beautiful girl," I replied. Before I could say anything else, Bella's wandering hand creeped below the sheets and made its way towards my now prominent erection.

"Bella," I warned not really sure exactly what my argument would be at this point.

"Yes, Edward," she grinned at me as my breathing started to increase.

I knew I had something to say, but suddenly my thoughts were in a whole new direction. Just as I was about to really lose control and return some of this good morning treatment to Bella, I heard my cell ring from the nightstand.

_Damn it! Who the hell could that be?_

I gathered my wits and grabbed the phone to check the caller ID and groaned when I saw it was mom. Bella looked over at the display at the same time I did and giggled because she knew I would have to answer it.

I flipped open the phone and tried to settle my voice to answer my mom with some dignity.

"Hello," I croaked, so much for dignity. Bella's giggles became more intense at hearing my voice. Thankfully she had stopped what she was doing. Well maybe not thankfully, but there was no way I could talk to my mom while she was doing that.

"Hello, dear," came my mother's sweet voice.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, I was already awake," I responded and Bella giggled even harder. I was fairly certain my mother could hear Bella's laughter on her end of the phone.

"Good, I just wanted to invite you and Bella over for lunch today. We are decorating the family tree and I want you both to be here. As long as Bella is feeling up to it that is," she finished.

Well after last night I was fairly certain Bella was up for almost anything within reason.

"I'm sure she will want to be there. What time?"

"Let's say around noon. That way you two can get settled for the day and do whatever you need to before you come over," she replied.

"Sounds good. I'll let Bella know what the plans are," I answered back. Even though Bella could hear our entire conversation, I didn't want to let my mom know that Bella and I had been sharing a bed for the past week. I know my mom isn't stupid, but she's still my mom after all.

"Bella, make sure that son of mine feeds you breakfast in bed before you come over," came my mom's final comment before she hung up the phone.

It took a moment for the realization to settle in and Bella just started giggling all over again. I should have given my mom more credit, she was no fool!

Shaking my head I rolled over and pinned Bella to the bed.

"So you think my mom busting my balls is funny do you?" I asked as I peppered her face with kisses as she squirmed around under me. Now that was an interesting scenario.

"You should have seen your face! It was priceless!" she gasped as she continued to laugh and wiggle around.

At this point I had to laugh with her. It really was too funny. Unfortunately for us though there was not enough time for any more fooling around this morning because we had to get ready to go to my parents' house to decorate. It had always been a big deal for us all to get together and ready the house for the holidays. I knew that this year would be especially important because it was the first year I was bringing anyone with me. I could not wait to share this time with Bella.

AN: Please review. I love all of your thoughts. I respond to ach one! Happy New Year!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**AN: I'm sorry that it has been so long since my last chapter. I always try for the two week mark, but sometimes life gets in the way. This chapter isn't filled with a tone of action, but it was necessary to move our favorite couple along. I hope you like it. There aren't too many chapters left. I'm not sure how many but we are nearing the end. As always thanks for the support last chapter. I love all of my readers, **

Chapter 15

BPOV

Still floating on cloud nine from my last 24 hours with Edward, I was excited to go see his family. Although they had visited over the last few weeks while I was recovering, it never felt like we were just hanging out. Plus it would be nice to do something normal for a change with the whole crowd that didn't involve high levels of drama.

I quickly showered and got ready. Edward. I was feeling almost back to normal except for the stgot ready right after I did. Too bad there wasn't time to shower together!

I was feeling tons better at this point. All I had to wait for was to lose the stupid cast and that would be off shortly and I couldn't wait for that day. I wanted the last reminders of the whole incident behind me. Although Edward and I were stronger than ever and had worked things out, it still sucked to have the constant reminder on my arm.

After we grabbed some coffee and bagels to eat, we headed out to the car. Edward had parked out front again and we quickly walked down the stairs to his car. The sun was bright and the air was crisp and cold. Even with the cold temperatures I was grateful to finally be outside for something other than a doctor's appointment.

Realizing something as we drove down the tree lined path to the road that led to his parent's home I turned to speak to Edward who was humming along with a tune on the radio.

"I guess I will have to go look for a car soon. I am fairly certain that my truck is no longer drivable," I mentioned realizing that I would need to be able to get back and forth to work.

I loved that Edward was being so caring and thoughtful as he took great care of me, but when we both returned to our regular schedules I would need to have my own transportation.

"Do you have any idea what kind of car you might like to get?" he asked.

I pondered this for a minute before asking.

"I hadn't really given it much thought," I said.

"Truthfully, I really loved my old truck. I know it wasn't flashy, but it was like a part of me. My dad bought it for me in high school and it was like an old friend. Something that connected me back to my life with my parents," I reminisced, realizing that it made me sad to know that my truck was in a junk heap somewhere.

"Well, why don't we go looking after you get the cast off? I am sure that something will jump out at you," Edward reassured me as we pulled into the front of the huge house he had grown up in.

I nodded in agreement as he hopped out and ran around the car to open my door.

We walked to the front door holding hands, and Edward held that door for me as well. Esme had trained him right in the manners and gentlemanly department.

As soon as we had hung up our coats, Alice came bouncing over to me and grabbed me in a fierce hug. You'd think by now that I'd be used to the tiny woman that had become one of my best friends, but her energy and strength still caught me off guard.

"Bella, I'm so glad that you are up and around!" she exclaimed in her usual cheery demeanor.

"Me, too," I agreed.

"I was starting to wonder if Edward was going to think I was part of the furniture," I quipped.

Edward just rolled his eyes and went off to look for his father and Emmett after kissing me on the top of my head.

Alice stood back and gave me a measured gaze that I knew was going to lead to some serious thoughts on her part, but before she could act on her musings, Esme walked into the room.

"Bella, I'm so glad that you felt well enough to make it," she said as she hugged me in greeting.

"Of course, Esme. Thank you for including me. I was glad to be able to get out of the house for a little while."

"Well I know that Edward would love to keep you all to himself, but he needs to share you with us ocassionally," she said in a joking manner with a wink that I am sure Alice noticed. That would only add fuel to her already overactive imagination. Except in this case her imagination was probably more accurate than not.

I could see Alice getting ready to pounce and was thankfully saved by Emmett's arrival into the room.

"Hey there, Bells! It's good to see you up and around again. Edward must be one hell of a nurse," he winked in extreme exaggeration as he scooped me up into a huge bear hug and crushing me against his chest.

"It's good to see you too, Emmett," I squeaked out.

"Put my girlfriend down, you ass. She's still recovering," said Edward from somewhere behind Emmett's huge form.

"Chill out brother dear. I would never hurt your beloved. She's like my little sister," he retorted back, but placed me gently on the ground as he spoke.

"Now do tell, Bells, has my dear brother been taking good care of you, or do I need to knock some sense into him?" Emmett inquired.

"Well," I responded drawing it out like I was pondering his question seriously.

Edward just shook his head at me and walked over to pull me back against his chest and wrap his arms around my waist.

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear so that no one could hear but us, "I guess if you are doubtful about my abilities to take care of your needs, I will have to double my efforts."

I shivered at the thoughts that his words had provoked and I felt my face redden as well.

Seeing my response only made Edward chuckle and Emmett wink at me in a suggestive manner. At this point I figured there was little hope of regaining my composure, so I just decided to suck it up and move on.

Everyone started to wander towards the large high ceiling living room where the largest Christmas tree I had ever seen was set up near the fireplace. The tree had to be at least ten feet tall and was lush and full. Someone had already strung the tree with hundreds of white twinkle lights. The smell of fresh pine filled the room.

"It's beautiful," I told Esme who had walked into the room behind Edward and I.

"Thank you. This really is my favorite time of year."

"Well are we going to decorate this magnificent specimen that Dad and I hauled here or are we just going to just look at it," asked Emmett.

"Relax, Em. You are just as bad now as you were as a kid!" Alice told him as she walked in holding Jasper's hand. Rosalie just shook her head in amusement at Emmett. She obviously was use to his antics and found them endearing.

Edward walked over to the couch and sat down pulling me onto his lap. It was nice to be a part of a family tradition such as this, even as an outsider of sorts. My family had always celebrated the holidays but traditions were few and far between. The tree always managed to get put up and the decorations placed around the house, but it was never a major production so to speak.

The Cullen's took this task to heart as the carols drifted from the speakers of the stereo system and the fire crackled in the fire place.

Esme handed each of her children and Carlisle a plush velvet box. To my surprise she also handed one to me.

She must have noticed my quizzical expression because she explained the purpose of the boxes.

"Every year everyone in the family receives a new ornament to add to the tree. I started the tradition when Carlisle and I were married and it has followed through the years. Now you are part of this family and our traditions."

Her explanation was so matter of fact that it almost seemed like any other statement, but the weight and importance of her words hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt my eyes prickle with emotion. I wasn't sure what to say or if I would be able to voice much in the way of a show of gratitude, so I simply whispered, ""Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, dear," she smiled back at me before patting my cheek and walking over to stand with Carlisle.

Edward must have sensed my emotional state and he hugged me closer to him and kissed my cheek.

I was not only shocked that they had included me in the tradition of gathering to decorate their family tree, but to be included with the ornaments and to have Esme share such a heartfelt sentiment with me was simply astonishing.

Everyone must have realized that I was having a moment and discreetly busied themselves with opening their own boxes. In each box was a beautiful handmade blown glass ornament. Esme had selected a different one to represent each family member in kind. Emmett's was a teddy bear, aptly chosen for his size and personality. Alice's was a small fairy with delicate wings. Carlisle's was a set of hands carefully cradling a heart with The letter 'E' engraved over it, obviously symbolizing his hold on Esme's own heart. He gave her a gentle, but loving kiss.

I smiled to myaelf hoping that Edward and I would have a chance to foster a love as great as his parents obviously had. Looking away, I saw that Edward was opening his box. Inside was a music note hanging from a silk ribbon. That through me for a loop a little bit. How did the note connect with Edward?

Seeing my confusion, Edward leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I will show you sometinme."

Lost in thought about Edward's comment about the ornament, I didn't notice everyone waiting for me to open mine.

"Sorry, "I mumbled before opening the lid to my box. Nestled in the tissue paper was delicate swan. The detail was exquisite, You could almost see the texture of the feathers in the formation of the glass.

"It's so beautiful," I whispered to no one in particular, but as I looked up I could see Edward watching me with a small smile on his lips.

"Anything that represents you could be nothing less," he whispered against my ear sending shivers down my spine.

I blushed at his words and got up to add my swan to the tree. Edward followed me and placed his music note on the branch next to mine.

After we had each hung our ornaments on the tree, everyone helped to add the rest of the ornaments that Esme had collected over the years. It was fun to look at the ornaments that spanned the years of their growing up. Each year had a story and Esme filled me in as each box was opened and the ornaments hung on the tree.

Once the tree was fully decorated and looking beautiful next to the fire, we all sat down to eat dinner together. It was an easy evening spent together just enjoying each other's company. I loved the way that I seemed to fit in with the Cullens so effortlessly.

Before long, I started to feel sleepy and realized that although I was much better than I was a week ago, I still felt the effects of the accident and my injuries. Edward looked at me and pulled me to my feet.

""I think we are going to head out, so Bella can get some rest," Edward announced.

"Rest you say," Emmett joked with a little grin on his face even though I knew he was kidding my face still turned a decent shade darker.

Emmett broke out into loud laughter at my reaction only to be smacked upside the head by Rose.

"Hey, I was just messing around!" he exclaimed rubbing his head.

"Don't be an ass," Rose told him.

I giggled at their exchange. You just had to love Rose!

Alice came over to give me a hug and when she did she whispered in my ear, "We will be having a talk soon, so don't even think about trying to get out of it."

I simply nodded knowing that resistance was futile, and honestly I missed talking with Alice. The closeness of a female friend had become something I cherished in the short time that we had known each other.

I gave hugs to everyone else and promised to get together again soon.

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and we walked to the car in a comfortable silence.

Once we were settled in the warm car, Edward looked at me and smiled that breathtaking smile that turns me to mush every time.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him.

"Just that I love having you as part of my life and my family. It has been a dream come true for me to have you in my life." His words were so sincere and loving and I felt tears brimming at the corners of my eyes at his words.

"Edward, I honestly never thought I would find love, but now that I have you I am not sure how I ever doubted that it was possible. Thank you for including me today."

We had just pulled up to his house and he turned to look at me with such a searing look that my breath caught.

"Bella, know that today was only the start of things I want to share with you. You are a permanent part of my life and my family is now yours as well. Never doubt that."

Not really having words to match his heart felt ones, I just nodded and leaned in to kiss him with all the emption I couldn't place in words.

"Mmmmm, as much as I like where this is headed I think that we need to get you inside and into bed. Today was a busy day and you still need to rest," his voice being regretful.

I knew that he was right in his thoughts, but all I could think about was last night and wanting to be with again.

Unfortunately my mind and body were not in sync. As we walked into the house the exhaustion that I had been fighting off for the last few hours began to win out. It too all my remaining energy to get my teeth brushed and crawl into bed.

Edward picked up the covers on his side of the bed and slid over to wrap his arms around me and pull me close to his warmth. I snuggled in close to his chest and listened to his heart beating rhythmically.

"Love you," I whispered before letting my eyes drift shut.

"Love you, too, baby," Edward said back kissing my lips softly before I was completely out.

***

EPOV

Laying in bed with Bella after she fell asleep was still one of the greatest feelings in the world. I loved having her near me and I had a difficult time remembering what it had been like before. I only hoped that she was willing to do this every night. I know that we had talked about it in a roundabout way, but I wasn't willing to not be with her.

Had someone asked me a couple of months ago if I ever thought that true love or soul mates existed, I would have told that it was a rare occurrence and definitely not possible for me.

_How wrong I was? _

Bella was my soul, life, and heart all in one. Though reason told me that we needed to take things slow, the rest of my heart, mind, and body said otherwise. Now I just had to broach this subject with Bella and get her thoughts on it.

In the meantime I had an idea come to me while we were at my parent's house decorating the tree. I loved sharing that particular moment with Bella. I had always dreamed about finding someone that could join our family and share in the times that were so precious to us. I knew that Esme especially loved seeing me happy and in love. She had made mention of it many times since Bella and I had begun seeing each other.

She and Alice both had been terrified when Bella had been in the accident, and I knew that part of that was fear for me having to see someone I loved in danger, but another part was from their own deep connection to Bella.

Tomorrow I was going to start a new tradition with Bella that would hopefully be something that we could share over many years together as well as with our own children someday in the future. Though if I had anything to say about it wouldn't be to far in the future.

**AN: I know that this chapter is that long, but I figured you'd rather have something than nothing. Plus this wasn't a bad place to stop for now. Any ideas on what Edward had up his sleeve? I'd love to hear your ideas. Again I apologize for the three weeks between last chapter. I will try and be a better author and update sooner next time! Pleas review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**AN:** **Once again I apologize that it has been more than 2 weeks, but I promise that I will never drop the story. I am committed to see this through. I hope you all like this one. There is a surprise in store! Read on : )**

Chapter 16

BPOV

The glimmer of sunlight streaming through the blinds was my first clue that morning had arrived. Not wanting to greet the day just yet, I rolled over onto my side reaching out for the warmth that I knew would be there to meet me, but I was slightly startled to be greeted by cool sheets and an empty bed.

Disappointment filled my thoughts as I came to the realization that Edward was already up and moving for the day, and that put my hopes of some morning snuggling and other possible activities to the back burner.

Stretching to shake loose the last remaining moments of sleep, I rolled over and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was only a little after 8, so at least I hadn't slept the day away. I noticed that there was a folded piece of paper on the table next to the clock with my name written in a familiar script on the front.

I reached over and grabbed the note and smiled to myself as I read its contents.

_My beautiful Bella-_

_I am watching you sleep right now and you are the most beautiful creature in the world. When you wake up, get dressed in warm clothes and be ready to spend some time with me outside today. I have some plans for us. I am hoping that we can start some of our own traditions together. _

_Love you more than you can ever imagine-_

_Edward xo_

I smiled to myself. Both at the thought that Edward had written me such a sweet note, and for the idea that Edward wanted to create our own traditions together. Traditions meant he was planning a future for us. That was an idea that made me truly ecstatic. A future with Edward held such promise and hope!

I rolled out of bed and quickly dressed in my warmest clothing that I had at Edward's and made my way down the stairs towards the kitchen. My stomach rumbled and I wanted to grab something before we set off to do whatever Edward had planned. Surprises were not always my favorite, but I had faith in Edward.

I walked into the kitchen and there was a plate of fruit and some pastries sitting there with a glass of juice, but Edward wasn't there. I didn't take too long to ponder his whereabouts because my stomach reminded me once again that it was empty and needed to be filled.

Just as I was finishing my breakfast, Edward walked through the door that led to the garage. He was all dressed in his parka and ski pants, and his cheeks were tinged pink from the cold.

"Hey there baby," Edward greeted me and walked over to wrap me in his arms and kiss my neck. His cold nose sending shivers through me as it made contact with my skin.

"Ohhh, that's cold," I giggled in response before hugging him closer to me not caring about the temperature.

He chuckled against my neck before releasing me enough to look at my face.

"Did you sleep well? I see you got my note and breakfast."

"Yes, I did and thank you for both. You are too good to me," I replied lightly running my hands down his cheeks.

"Mmmmm, no such thing," he said releasing me and walking over to the closet to grab my coat.

"Are you ready to start making some traditions with me," he asked with a bright smile as he helped me into my coat.

"I am always ready for anything you have planned," I quipped back and winked so that he would get that I wasn't talking about just his surprise. Now that we had crossed that last barrier in our relationship, I was anxious to see where else that might lead.

His eyes darkened at the innuendo of my words, "Well we will just have to make sure that I keep you busy then today won't we?"

Once again I felt a shiver ripple through me, and I knew that it wasn't from the cold this time.

"Why don't we head out and take care of my first plan and then we can work through some other ideas that have been rolling around in my head?" he asked still looking lustfully at me.

Knowing that if we didn't leave right then that we would never get to his planned out day, I quickly nodded my head as he motioned towards the front door. As I walked past him, he swatted my ass and smirked at me.

Oh he was definitely in a mood alright!

I was surprised when I walked outside and saw that there was a snowmobile parked near the front of the house with the engine quietly purring. Attached to the back was a long sled-like board that was empty except for a few straps. The snowmobile was similar to the one that Edward and I had ridden awhile back, but it was smaller and sleeker, and I guessed that it was also faster.

I must have had a quizzical look on my face because Edward stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist before resting his head on my shoulder and speaking in a low voice, "All part of the plan my love."

"Where did this one come from? It looks a little different than the one we rode before." I questioned.

"This one is my own personal one. We all have them, but when I am doing patrol stuff I take those. Mine is by the same company, but it goes just a bit faster!"

"Just a bit my ass," I scoffed in his direction. I knew full well that he and his brothers had a need for speed!

His answering chuckle was all the confirmation I needed before grabbing the helmet he handed me and climbing up behind him. I had no clue what we were going to be doing, but I knew that he wasn't going to tell me so I figured I would just wait it out. I would find out soon enough.

Just like the first time, the ride on the snowmobile was exhilarating! Not only did I love snuggling into Edward, but there was a certain feeling of freedom as we drove through the trails of the private area surrounding Edward's home. The last time we had explored the deeper areas of the resort we were on resort property, but now we were riding through the trees and clearings that were not public domain. It was still hard to fathom that this was the world that Edward had grown up in.

We rode for about a half an hour or so before Edward slowed the snowmobile down as we neared a cluster of various pines and evergreens. As with the rest of the resort, it was pretty with the fallen snow and sunlight gleaming off the icy surfaces, but this particular area didn't seem overly significant or unusual. All that was around us was a cluster of about 15 tress that were relatively the same size.

_What we were doing here? _

Edward climbed off the snowmobile looked graceful as always and helped me to climb off as well. He led me to the center of the cluster of trees and turned me so I was facing him. I was getting more confused by the minute. Nothing was making sense.

"Baby, I brought you out here because I want to start a tradition with you that I can only hope and pray will last a very long time. Having you with me and my family yesterday was so incredibly special to me that there are no words. I have never wanted to share any of those special moments with anyone before until I met you. Now I want o share them all and make new ones as well."

I could feel the tears start to sting my eyes at his sweet, heartfelt words. This man was truly amazing and he was all mine!

Edward reached up with his hand and gently brushed the tears away that were forming at the corners of my eyes and kissed both my cheeks before kissing my lips,

"Baby, I brought you here so that we could choose a tree together. I have never bothered with putting up my own tree because Esme always had one at the main house and I didn't see the point. Now I want to do this with you. I want us to pick out _our_ own tree and decorate it together. I want to make love to you under _our_ tree in front of the fireplace and share all of this with you."

There was no stopping the tears that were freely falling down my cheeks now. I had never loved someone liked I loved the man standing in front of me bearing his heart's desires with me.

So I did the only thing that made sense at that moment, I threw myself into his arms and crushed my lips to his as hard as I could. Edward responded immediately by kissing me back with equal strength and desire. Edward slowed the kiss first and I groaned at the loss of his lips on my, earning another chuckle from Edward.

"Sweetheart, I would love to continue this, but the current surroundings are not exactly conducive to making love to you and taking my time about it, which I intend to do in the very near future. What do you say that we pick out _our_ tree and then we can continue where we left off back at home in front of a nice fire and _our_ tree?"

_Our_ tree! I liked the sound of that!

"Sounds good to me! Let's find us a tree!" I replied before grabbing Edward's hand and walking around the grouping of tress that were surrounding us.

We wandered through the grouping discussing the merits of each tree and narrowing our choices down. I was continually drawn back to the same Blue Spruce that stood of to the one side of the cluster. It was lush and full with a near perfect shape. I had returned back to tree again before turning to Edward with a smile.

"This is it!" I exclaimed putting to the tree that had caught my eye several times.

"I agree, baby. This is the perfect tree to start our first tradition," he smiled at me with a radiant grin before walking over to the snowmobile to retrieve the saw that he had stored earlier in the day.

It took a relatively short period of time for Edward to cut the tree down and secure it to the sled at the back of the snowmobile. With having my arm still in the stupid cast, I couldn't really help Edward. Not that he would have let me anyway!

The ride back was just as exhilarating as the ride out, but this ride was filled with the anticipation of seeing our tree placed in the house, not to mention the promises of spending some time in front of the fireplace with Edward! My heart raced with just the idea of finally being with Edward again. Once was definitely not enough!

When we arrived back at the house, Edward pulled the snowmobile around to the front door. After helping me out of my helmet and placing a few searing kisses along my jaw and throat, told me to go ahead in and he would bring the tree in and get it set up for us.

I knew that this would take a few minutes, so I figured I had a little time to put together a little surprise of my own.

"Since you won't let me help you get the tree settled, do you mind if I go take a nice bath to warm up?" I knew that he would never let me help him, so I might as well use my time wisely.

Edward groaned at my query.

"Bella, you are going to be the death of me! Now all I can think about is you in a bathtub full of bubbles!"

I grinned at his comment. I hadn't really considered what my words might mean to him, but what a bonus for me! Seeing Edward squirm as a result of something I said made me feel even more confident in myself and my abilities in the seduction department.

Choosing to not respond with words, I let my actions speak for me. I leaned in gave him a not so chaste kiss and walked towards that house swaying my hips as I went.

EPOV

Damn, that woman was out to kill me! It took all I had to not run after her and throw her over my shoulder and have my way with her right that second.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady my raging hormones, I started to unhook the tree from the sled, so that I could get it set up in the house. I couldn't wait to see it all set up near the fireplace.

Spending the day with Bella finding the perfect tree to call "ours" was amazing. It only proceeded to show me that I wanted to share many more moments just like that one with her at my side.

I managed to get the tree into the stand that I had already set up fairly easily. Although I had never had a tree of my own before, I had certainly helped with this task at my parents' house many times over the years. Once the tree was up and settled near the large glass windows, I stood back and admired the beauty of the scene in front of me. I couldn't wait for Bella to see it.

I decided that I would start a fire and light a few candles around the spacious room. I could hear Bella moving around upstairs and knew she would be down soon. Once I had the fire crackling in the large stone fireplace, I lit some candles and turned down the lights. The sun had set and the stars were just beginning to peek out in the night sky. I had to admit that the scene was quite breathtaking in its natural beauty. However, it held nothing, compared to the beauty that was Bella as I turned to see her walking down the stairs.

She was gorgeous! She had put on a white, silk bathrobe over a white and lace nightgown, and her rich, brown hair was tumbling loose down her back. I had a funny feeling that Alice may have been behind her ensemble, and I made a mental note to thank her later.

Her cheeks were tinged with a slight pink from the bath and I could smell the slightest floral fragrance wafting in my direction. My pants tightened in reaction to the vision of the angel in front of me, and I silently reminded myself that I couldn't just charge over there and ravage her. That wasn't what I wanted for us tonight. I wanted to show her how much I loved and needed her every moment of my life.

I crossed the room to her in three strides and wrapped her up in my arms, inhaling her sweet scent as I placed wet, open mouthed kisses along her throat and the exposed part of her shoulder.

"God you take my breath away," I murmured in between kisses to her soft skin.

"Mmmmm," was her only response as she fisted her hands into my hair and pulled me closer to her.

I slid my hands down to encircle her waist and lift her up. She responded by wrapping her luscious legs around my waist, so that I could carry her over to the pile of blankets I had laid out on the floor by the fire place.

I gently laid her down in the soft fleece and chenille nest, so that I could look down at the beautiful vision in front of me. Her eyes were darkened by the lust and desire that was emanating from her. Her breathing was coming out in short, quick pants, and the blush of her cheeks was now covering most of her exposed skin.

I had to take several deep breaths to maintain my focus on what I wanted the night to bring. As soon as I felt some semblance of control, I reached down to release the ties of her robe. The silk slid apart easily and fell to the floor in a soft pool, leaving her arms and shoulders bare.

"Breathtaking," I whispered before laying myself beside her and trailing soft kisses up her arm until finally reached her soft, pink lips. The quiet moan that escaped her mouth as we kissed only added fuel to the already ardent fire that was coursing through my veins!

Her hands reached up and snaked around my neck to pull me closer to her. Once she had achieved that, her delicate hands began to wander down my back and slip under my shirt. My skin automatically searing as her nails lightly raked across my lower back. She gave a tug, indicating she wanted to get my shirt off, but with her cast still in the way I knew she couldn't manage that without my help. Hating to pull away, I gave her another deep kiss before leaning back and pulling my shirt over my head.

"Now that makes us a little uneven, don't you think?" I whispered to her, as my hands slid under her lace and silk creation, so that I could slide it up her smooth skin, lightly brushing across her nipples as I went. Her breathing quickened as I tossed the fabric aside and latched my mouth down onto her breast.

"Edward," came her throaty groan as she pulled me closer to her and arched her back in response. God the things she did to me.

I kissed my way across the valley between her breasts and gave the other equal attention which received another throaty groan from Bella.

Her hands ghosted down my back until her fingers slipped into the waist band of my jeans causing me to lose focus for a moment. Before I could regain my composure and return my attentions to her beautiful breasts, she had her hands on my hips and was pushing me to roll over onto my back.

In the next moment I was on my back and Bella had straddled my hips and was popping the buttons of my jeans quite quickly given the fact that her one hand was not as useful as it should have been.

"Now it's my turn for some fun," she purred into my ear as she snaked her tongue out to lick at my ear lobe.

_Damn she was going to put me over the edge!_

Her uncasted hand slid into my boxers and firmly grasped my length in her hot, little hand before slowly moving her hand up and down my length with just the right amount of pressure and friction. If she kept up I would be done in mere seconds. I felt like such a hormonal teenager when it came to Bella.

"Baby, if you keep that up, I won't last two more minutes," I rasped out before succumbing to the unbelievable sensations that were coursing through me at that moment.

"Well that won't do will it. Do you have any other suggestions?" she whispered against my neck as she peppered my throat with hot kisses.

"As a matter of fact I do!" I replied.

Within seconds we were both completely naked and she was sitting above me with a look of sheer lust and hunger on her face. Not being able to stand it any longer I positioned her above my and guided her hips down until we were completely joined together.

Both of us pasued for a long moment to revel in the magnificent sensation of finally being together again before she slowly began moving her hips against mine. The feelings and sensations that coursed through me were like nothing I had ever felt before.

"Oh god, Edward. I'm so close."

Those words in and of themselves almost did me in at that moment!

With a few more hard thrusts we were both falling over the edge of our own releases.

Bella collapsed onto my chest and we both worked to steady our breathing and wait for our hearts to slow to a normal pace.

"Baby, that was amazing," I whispered into her hair as I drew lazy circles up and down her back.

"I have to share that sentiment," she whispered against my chest.

"I love you so much, Edward," Bella whispered before her eyes fluttered closed as she fell asleep on my chest.

"Love you, too," I whispered back kissing her forehead several times.

I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was going to spend the rest of my life with the woman in my arms, and I would never let her go.

***

We both must have dozed off curled up against each other in the nest of blankets with the heat from the fireplace emitting a warm glow.

Eventually I felt Bella stir next to me and stretch against my body. The feeling of her naked skin rubbing against mine was causing all sorts of reactions.

Bella giggled into my neck when she felt the obvious erection against her stomach.

"Hold that thought champ. I think that some food might be in order before we go for round two!"

As if on cue both our stomachs rumbled at the same time obviously agreeing with Bella's idea.

"Fine," I pretended to pout to which Bella simply leaned over and kissed my pouted lips and stood up throwing her robe back on much to my disappointment.

"Just so you are well aware I am only agreeing to this so that you are fully energized for our later activities, Miss Swan!" I called to her retreating back.

She promptly yelled back over her shoulder, "Bring it on, Mr. Cullen!"

Fuck me! She had never called me Mr. Cullen before and I'll be damned if it didn't turn me on even more!

I was just sliding my jeans back on when I heard the doorbell ring at the front door. I knew that I wasn't expecting anybody, so I didn't bother to throw a shirt on or do up the button my jeans because most likely it was Alice. I planned on shooing her away as fast as I could so I could get back to Bella.

I swung the door open ready to kick Alice out, but it wasn't Alice at the door. It was a man I had never seen before, but my immediate gut reaction was a feeling of distrust. He stood there wearing a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket with his hair pulled back in a low pony tail.

He gave me a cursory glance, noting my state of undress.

"Can I help you?" I questioned standing in the doorway making sure that he understood that he was unwelcome.

"Is Isabella here?" he asked looking cocky and self assured.

"May I ask who you are?" I questioned not for a minute willing to tell him anything about Bella until I knew his purpose.

As he opened his mouth to answer, there was a loud crash behind me and an audible gasp from Bella. I turned immediately to see what had happened and Bella was standing there with a pile of broken dishes and glasses at her feet looking white as a sheet.

"Bella?" I questioned starting to move towards her scared that she was going to pass out.

Before I could take a step in her direction she managed to croak out, "James, what are you doing here?"

**AN: Well who would have saw that coming? Wonder what he wants? Thought…**


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**AN: I know it has been 3 weeks, but I can't help it. This is a busy time for me, but I will still update, it just might not be as often. Thank you for your continued support!**

Chapter 17

BPOV

The wave of shock the rippled through me at the sight of James looming in the doorway was almost crippling. I think part of me was still on a rush from the evening I had just spent with Edward and if I was honest, I never thought that I would see James again.

My feet stayed rooted to spot, unable to move or react. My mind was racing, but my body felt numb. Thankfully Edward took my lack of reaction as a sign that he needed to do something, and god bless him the first thing he did was walk over to me and wrap me in his arms. Almost immediately I felt the calming effects that only he could provide.

Knowing that I needed to reign in my reactions and emotions in order to deal with the current situation, I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that was all Edward and turned to face James. Only I didn't let go of Edward. I wasn't that brave, and I knew that he was seeking comfort from my touch as well.

James had remained in the doorway, although he had relaxed somewhat by leaning into the doorframe.

Deciding to start with my previous question, I asked again, "James, what are you doing here?"

A smile slowly spread across James' face. Now to someone who did not have an intimate knowledge of this man, it would appear sincere and genuine, but I knew better. James never smiled out of genuine happiness, it was always a tool, a means to an end.

"I came to find you Isabella. I would have thought that was obvious. I've missed you a great deal and hoped we could talk," his voice sounded calm, but I knew that the unspoken undertone was anything but. His motives were always decidedly different than the outward appearance.

Choosing for now to ignore his explanation, I asked another question, "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't the difficult actually. I heard from the manager at the coffee shop that you worked at that you had been hired at a ski resort, not that far away and little calling around yielded the answer quite easily. However, I was expecting to be directed to your house, not someone else's."

With those pointed words James' gaze drifted to linger on Edward before returning to me.

"Well, now you've found me, James, what exactly do you wish to talk to me about? I thought that it was made perfectly clear that I had nothing left to say to you the last time we spoke," I could feel the anger in me starting to bubble up at the memories that were reemerging. At the time I had felt so betrayed and used, but now that I had someone who truly loved me, I realized that James had never cared for me. I was nothing more than a distraction for him until something else caught his eye.

I could see the hint of surprise flash across his eyes un reaction to my harsh tone and words. As a rule I never talked in such a manner to anyone, least of all him.

"Well I had hoped that we could talk about what happened and work things out, but I can see that you have wasted no time finding someone else to warm your bed, or should I say that you are now warming _his_," he was no longer trying to disguise his true feelings.

At those words, I felt Edward tense and his body shift to face James. As much as I would love to see Edward tear James apart, I knew that this was my battle to fight. James would never back down if I let Edward get in the middle. I needed to finish this on my own.

"Baby, he's not worth it," I whispered to him and kissed his cheek. I looked into his eyes, and they were filled with rage at James, and pleaded with him to hold it together, Edward simply nodded at me, but his jaw was still clenched with his anger.

"James, the only wasted time in my life was the time I spent believing that you had a decent bone in your whole body. I am honestly surprised that you have deluded yourself to believe that there was even the smallest chance that we would ever be together again. Even if I wasn't with Edward, I would never sink so low as to ever be with you again."

The shock that graced James' face felt fabulous, it was amazing to finally stand up for myself. I felt Edward kiss the top of my head and hug me closer to him.

James pushed off of the doorframe into a standing position and for a second I felt my anxiety rise. I knew that James could react rashly and I didn't want anymore of a confrontation than we had already had.

"I must say that I am surprised at you Isabella. I would have never pegged you for a gold digging whore," James sneered at me.

I can't say that I was overly shocked by his words, but the implication still stung. I had worked hard for everything that I had in life. My parents were hardworking people that instilled the same values in me as I was growing up. Deep down I knew James was just trying to goad me, but I flinched in response anyway.

My physical reaction must have been the last straw that broke the tenuous hold Edward had on his self-control. In less than a second, Edward had left my side and I heard the sharp crack as Edward's fist connected with James jaw.

James reeled backwards from the unexpected blow to his face, and Edward took the opportunity to grab a hold of James' jacket.

"Now you listen to me you spineless asshole! No one speaks to Bella or any woman that way. You need to learn some respect and manners. You are not welcome in this house or on this resort ever again. If you dare try and see or contact Bella again the consequences will be far graver than a sore jaw. Now get out of _our_ house!"

Edward's voice was lethal. I had never heard him sound so frightening before in my life, and surprisingly I found great comfort in the fact that it was directed at James.

Having said his piece, Edward released James with a shove towards the front steps and stood with his body filling the doorway until James started his car and drove off.

Edward quietly shut the door and turned the lock, before walking over to me and pulling me back to his chest. Once again I felt the safety and security of Edward's presence and felt myself start to relax against his firm chest.

"Are you okay, baby?" he questioned in a whisper as he rubbed his hands over my back, an action that was soothing to both him and myself.

I just nodded into his chest too overwhelmed to speak at that moment.

As always, Edward could read my mood, and he scooped me up in his arms and carried me up the stairs to his bedroom.

Once we were both snuggled into the soft blankets and wrapped in each other's arms, I finally allowed myself to relax and attempt to let go of the events of the night involving James. All I wanted to do was commit to memory the other amazing parts of the day. The rest was something I could happily forget.

Something kept nagging me though. In the midst of the chaos with James Edward had said something that he probably didn't even realize. He had called his house, "our house". It was mostly definitely a slip of the tongue in the moment, but I couldn't help relishing the sound of it, even if it was only a beautiful fantasy. With that particular fantasy running rampant through my mind, I inhaled Edward's sweet scent once more and drifted off to sleep.

EPOV

My sleep was restless at best throughout the night. The events of the previous day were all over the place as far as emotions were concerned. It had begun as such a magnificent way to share my life and love with Bella, but the appearance of James was a true test of my self control. The fact that I had only injured his jaw was a sheer miracle. Every fiber of my being had ached to tear him apart. Not just from the foul things that he said to Bella last night, but for all the pain he had ever caused her.

Feeling so utterly protective of another human being was new to me, and I now understood why the men in my family were so protective of their significant others. I now knew without a doubt that Bella was my life and that I would never let her go. The question was did she feel things to the same degree that I did. I had no doubt that she loved me, but this felt almost beyond love. This all consuming force was overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time.

While she slept the events of the encounter with James replayed in my mind over and over again. I kept coming back to the same two words that I had uttered when I was speaking to James before tossing his sorry ass out, "our home". At the time, I wasn't particularly cognizant of my individual words, but as I looked back I realized that it wasn't just an error in semantics. It was what I truly desired. I wanted a home with Bella. Hell I wanted a life with her for that matter, but I feared that going that fast would send her running for the hills.

I could settle for just having her with me as much as possible. I could already picture us cooking dinner together every night after work and cuddling together on the weekends in front of the fireplace. Hell even doing laundry together sounded fabulous.

The question was did I broach this subject with Bella. I wasn't even sure if she had registered my words last night. Hell I hadn't thought about it until all the dust had settled. For the moment I decided to wait and see what the morning brought. Knowing that I needed to attempt to get some rest, I snuggled up against Bella's back and tried to get some sleep.

***

I must have slept longer than I thought because the next time I opened my eyes the light in the room was bright enough to indicate it was at least mid-morning. Sure enough when I looked at the clockand it said that it was almost ten.

I rolled over to see if Bella was still snoozing, but her side was empty. and it looked like she hadn't been there in awhile. I rolled out of bed and walked to the en suite to quickly take care of my morning necessities. I wanted to find Bella and make sure that she hadn't suffered any lasting effects from last night's events.

As soon as I neared the top of the steps I could here Bella puttering around in the kitchen, and there was music coming from the radio on the counter. I made my way down the stairs and saw that Bella was busy making something on the counter, while she swayed her hips to the music. Seeing her like this, at home in the kitchen, only served to solidify my feelings from last night, I wanted her here all the time! Putting off this conversation wasn't going to work. I would have to do it soon.

I slid up behind Bella, and wrapped my arms around her waist and place a line of soft kisses along her shoulder.

"Mmmmm, morning," purred Bella in response to me greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

"After awhile, I finally fell asleep, but my brain was a little busy at first," I replied, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to make her worry.

"I guess I can understand why. I am so sorry that James came here last night, Edward. I would have never thought he would come after me. I honestly believed that he had moved on."

Her voice was soft and remorseful, and I was angry again that James had caused her to feel like I would be upset by his unexpected visit. I figure now was as good a time as any to get this all out in the open.

I spun her around and sat her down in my lap in a nearby chair. Holding her face between my hands, I forced her to look right into my eyes before I spoke.

"Bella, listen to me please, baby. You are not to blame for any of the asinine things that James does or says. You are not, nor have you ever been to blame for what he has chosen to do in his life. Honestly I am not shocked that he came after you because he had to realize what an amazing person he lost. However, I was quite serious when I told him not to come back here. You are safe, Bella. I will never let anything happen to you."

At my words several tears slipped down, Bella's cheeks. I kissed each one away as they fell, hoping to show her how much she meant to me. My life was irrevocably altered by having Bella in my life, and I wanted her to know the depth of my feelings.

She sniffled a few times and then buried her head into my neck, before whispering, "I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. I don't want to scare you off but I want you to know that I have never felt like this before about anyone. Thank you Edward for taking care of me last night and since the accident. Not to mention you are the sweetest, most loving man in the world. I am so lucky to have had you to taking care of me these last few weeks."

Hearing her words caused my heart to speed up. Maybe she did feel the same as me. Maybe her feelings were just as strong. I began to wonder if I should bring up the idea of her staying with me permanently. I knew that taking that leap was huge, but not telling her and always wondering would be far worse.

"Oh, baby, you have no idea how much those words mean to me. I love you so much, and I want nothing more than to take care of you for as long as you'll let me."

"I want to ask you something, but I don't want you to feel overwhelmed or obligated in anyway. You can even think it over for awhile if you want, but I have to ask," my words were coming out in a rush and I am sure I sounded like a rambling idiot, but I didn't want to lose my nerve.

Now it was Bella's turn to soothe me.

"Edward, just spit it out," she commanded looking slightly amused at my flustered ramblings.

"Bella, willyoumoveinwithme?" it all came out in a huge rush and probably was slightly unintelligble.

I could see her confusion as she processed my words, and then her eyes registered understanding.

"You want me to move in with you?" she whispered obviously shocked, but I couldn't determine if her reaction was positive or negative.

"Yes, I do. I know that it seems sudden, but I just can't imagine going back to not being with you all the time. I want you here with me every minute that you can be. I want to love you and protect you always. When I told James last night that this was _our_ _home_ I meant that. Before you came along Bella it was just a house, having you here makes it a home. Please say you'll think about it"

I knew that I would respect her decision, but I hoped with everything in me that she decided to live here with me. I wanted more than anything for this to be our home.

"When you said that to James last night, it didn't quite settle in until later, but I thought for sure that you had just been talking in the moment. I had to convince myself that it was just an errant slip up in your tirade at James because I knew that I couldn't let myself believe that you would want me to live with you if you weren't ready yet. Edward, I want nothing more than to make a home with you. When I am with you I am home. "

She punctuated her words by kissing me with such force and passion that I had no doubt that she meant what she said. I was exhilarated. Bella and I were going to live together!

I scooped her up off my lap, breakfast forgotten and started towards the stairs.

"What are you doing?" She giggled as I made my way up the stairs two at a time.

I kissed her nose before responding, "I am taking my beautiful girlfriend back to _our_ bedroom we have some celebrating to do!"

**AN: Please Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**AN: I'm back. I know it's a long time between updates, but I have to balance all of my responsibilities. I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 18

BPOV

It was hard to believe that it was just a few days until Christmas. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of events. Thankfully nothing else major had happened in regards to James after the night that he showed up unannounced. Edward had made sure that security at the resort was informed of his description and they were told in no uncertain terms that he was to be removed from the premises immediately if he were to show up again. I sincerely doubted that I would ever see him again, but Edward was not taking any chances.

I had officially moved in with Edward the following weekend after the "James' visit", and we had adjusted amazingly well to cohabitation. I guess the fact that we had basically been living together for the last few weeks had already accounted for the adjustment period, that and the fact that I had little to move in other than my few personal belongings. Edward made a point though of making sure I felt comfortable in the house. He made room for me in his closet and dresser, along with clearing space on his bookshelves for my well worn books that I had brought with me.

The best part though was the knowledge that I got to come home to Edward every night. Most times we just cooked a simple dinner together and hung out. It was calming to settle into a life with less drama and more normalcy. God knows we had experienced enough drama to last a lifetime.

Today was the first day since the accident that I was going to spend away from Edward other than work hoirs. The rational part of me knew that this was healthy for a couple, but the rest of me dreaded the idea of not seeing him for hours on end. Truth be told, I knew he felt the same way.

Alice and I had made plans to go have a girl's day out. Not only did I need to finish Christmas shopping, but Alice was insisting on some pampering, now that I was completely healed and my cast was gone. I wasn't sure that the pampering idea was something I would have chosen to do for myself, but I had missed spending time with Alice in the past few weeks. Thankfully once I got back to work, she and I were able to at least grab lunch together a few days a week. Sometimes Esme or Rose joined us as well. Even the guys made an appearance now and again. Although they were also busy with the season now in full force. All of the ski patrol was out patrolling or manning the headquarters to make sure the skiers and snowboarders were safe.

Knowing that Alice and I would be heading out fairly early, Edward had made his own plans with Emmett and Jasper. Apparently they were working on some project. I wasn't sure that I wanted to know what they were up to. It probably involved Edward spending too much money on something for me. I had repeatedly told him to not spend a lot of money on me for Christmas, but I am certain his idea of too much money and my idea are not the same thing!

Thankfully I didn't have much time to ponder what he might be up to because Alice came bounding into the house shortly after the boys had left to go wherever they were headed.

"So Bella are you ready for some fun?" she questioned as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

I knew that an answer wasn't actually required. Her question was only rhetorical. So I nodded and grabbed my things before following her out to her car. Unfortunately with the season at the resort being so busy right now, I had yet to go car shopping. Thankfully I was able to get around to where I needed to go by catching rides with Edward or Alice if need be. Car shopping was on my list for after the New Year though.

Alice was just as enthusiastic a driver as she was when she was buzzing around the office. Thankfully I had ridden with her enough times to know that she was a speed demon, but always safe. Although since my accident she was more cautious with me in the car. I was still unable to not tense up when I had to ride past the section of road that I had crashed on. The guard rail had been replaced and there was little evidence of the fact that anything had happened there, but I knew that I wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. My thoughts were rational, but my subconscious had other ideas.

Alice kept up a constant chatter as we drove down the windy road. I knew she was trying to distract me and for that I was grateful. Once we were well past the accident scene and on our way into town, I relaxed and felt my muscles release the tension.

Within 10 minutes we were pulling into the spa parking lot, and Alice was nearly vibrating with excitement. I had asked Alice why we didn't just use the services at the resort, and she told me that it was weird to have people that you see in social settings performing some spa services, so she just always came into town to use this spa.

The spa was set up inside a restored Victorian home. There was a pretty little sitting room just inside the front door, and we were greeted by the receptionist as soon as we entered.

Alice had a quick discussion with the receptionist, who had introduced herself as Gayle before we were led down a hall to a set of changing rooms.

We were each given thick, white terrycloth robes and sandals to put on. I hated to admit it, but I was already feeling relaxed just by being in such a peaceful setting. An attendant came out to greet me in the sitting room and introduced herself as Carrie. She explained that she would be performing my services for the day and led me to a room filled with all kinds of lotions and assorted products. I sincerely hoped that Alice did not get any bright ideas about having any of my lady parts waxed because I was not even going there!

Thankfully Alice for once in her life did not plan any wicked surprises! My day was filled with a deep tissue massage, a manicure, a pedicure, and a facial. All of which was new to me, but I think I could seriously get used to doing this a few times a year. Normally I was not one to make a fuss about myself, but who honestly didn't enjoy a day to just relax!

I had just finished up and thanked my technician, when Alice came into the room looking stunning as always.

"So Bella, did you enjoy yourself?" she asked as we made our way out of the spa.

"Actually, Alice, I really did. I wasn't sure how I would feel about all of the treatments, but it was nice to relax and unwind."

"Well it seems that we may make a girly girl yet."

"I wouldn't go that far, Alice!" I shot back. I certainly did not want Alice to take this as her permission to take me shopping and dress me up in high fashion. A day to relax was one thing. But playing Bella Barbie was another. Give me my jeans and sweaters any day over high heels and dresses.

Alice just stuck her tongue out at me and we laughed as we walked down the main street of the town. I still needed to get Edward something for Christmas and for the moment I was totally stumped.

"Alice, I am in need of your assistance. I have no idea what to get your brother for Christmas. I want to get him something special, but I can't think of anything. He already has everything he needs and wants. Any thoughts?"

She wrinkled her little nose in thought, "Hmmmm, I know what you mean about him having everything, but I think I know just the thing. Follow me and I will show you!"

She grabbed my hand and pulled me across the street at the intersection and led me to a storefront not too far away from where we were at a minute ago.

I glanced at the displays on the windows and looked at Alice as if she was nuts.

"Alice, I am not sure that Edward would find much value in that?" I was seriously questioning her mental faculties at that moment.

"No silly, that is for you. The gift for Edward would be that," she declared as she pointed at the shop next store.

I quickly glanced at the neighboring store front and a smile spread across my face.

"Alice you are a genius! That's a perfect gift!" I exclaimed.

"Tell me something that I don't know," Alice scoffed before smiling at me and pulling me into the first store.

About an hour later, I was officially finished shopping for Edward and I knew that he was going to love my gift!

Thank god for Alice. She may drive me crazy, but she can be a true lifesaver!

As soon as we got back to the house, I quickly stashed my purchases and made my way to the kitchen to see what I could put together for dinner. Alice had just dropped me off, saying that she had some last minute things to do herself to get ready for the holidays.

I was just finishing up the last few preparations for dinner when I felt two strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

"Hi, baby. I missed you today," he whispered into my neck as he ghosted his lips across my skin. You'd think by now that I would have adjusted to Edward's presense somewhat, but every time we were close to each other, I felt the same tingle and surge of electricity run through my body.

"Mmmmm, it was good. I had a nice relaxing trip to the spa with Alice, and then I finished my shopping."

"I am glad you had a good time at the spa. You deserve a little time to unwind. Did you get me anything good?" he questioned with a glint in his eye.

"Like I would tell you! You will just have to wait until Christmas. You are as bad as a kid or Emmett!" I admonished, but I honestly loved that I had someone to spoil a little bit this year.

"Fine," Edward replied pretending to pout and give me his best puppy dog eyes.

Realizing that this was not working, he switched tactics and began tickling my sides.

"Aghhh, Edward! Stop that before pee my pants!" I gasped as I wriggling out of his grasp and darted across the room to hide in front of the couch.

He just laughed and chased after me, catching me around the waist before falling onto the couch with me pressed underneath him. Now this was a turn of events that I could live with!

"Now that I have you trapped, I wonder what I should do with you?" he pretended to ponder his options, but his body betrayed him instantly. I could feel what he wanted to do, and I was definitely not opposed to the idea.

"Well we could play a board game," I suggested knowing full well that it was the last thing either of us was interested in doing at the moment.

"Well I am not opposed to playing a game, but Monopoly wasn't exactly what I had in mind," he replied leaning closer to my lips as he spoke.

"Oh really," I whispered back licking my lips in anticipation of his kiss.

He pressed his lips against mine and I groaned at the contact of his mouth on mine. God I loved kissing this man! The kissing quickly became heated and filled with passion. I reached up and threaded my hands through his hair and tugged his face closer to mine, sliding my tongue across his bottom lip, and he immediately granted my access. His hands drifted under the hem of my shirt and ghosted across my stomach before gliding up towards my breasts.

I arched up towards his hands and slid my hands from his hair down his back and grabbed his shirt and began to tug on it. I wanted to feel his skin under my fingertips. He readily complied and broke the kiss only long enough to pull his shirt off and toss it across the room.

I groaned at the sight of his finely sculpted chest. He was the sexiest thing on two legs. Not being able to help myself, I leaned forward and trailed several open mouthed kisses along his chest and up his neck before reclaiming hi mouth with my own.

I was rewarded with a moan from Edward that came from deep within his chest. It was so empowering to know that I affected him the same way that he affected me.

Edward sat back on his heels still straddling my hips and looked down at me with lust filled eyes.

"God Bella, what you do to me! I think we need to even things up a bit though don't you?" he asked before pulling me up enough to remove my shirt and bra before tossing them across the room to meet his shirt from on the floor.

Before I had a moment to react to his words and actions, he leaned down and latched onto my left breast while palming my right. The dual sensations sent me back to my blessed out state from a moment ago.

"Guh, Edward that feels so good!" I moaned out as I dropped back onto the couch. I could feel his grin against my flesh before he continued his assault on my skin as he made his way down the valley between my breasts to the top of my jeans. Before I knew it, he had them open and was tugging them down over my thighs taking my panties with them.

I was so consumed in my own desires at this point that I felt like my skin was going to combust from every touch that Edward laid on my body. I was not beyond begging at this point and that was exactly what I did!

"Please Edward!" I begged in a voice that I barely recognized as my own. It was raw and gritty and filled with intense need.

By now he was perched between my thighs and placing tiny butterfly kisses all around the very area that I desired him the most.

"What baby? Tell me what you want me to do. I am all yours," his voice was pure seduction. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and he was reveling in it.

"I need you!" I panted. "Please touch me!"

"How could I refuse a request like that," he responded before diving between my legs and assaulting me with his mouth and fingers until I crashed over the edge in a tremendous climax.

I arched my back off the couch and I swear I saw stars! It felt like hours passed before I regained any sense of reality.

Just as I was regaining my composure from the pure pleasure I had just received at Edward's hands (and mouth)! I felt him shift above me as he removed his own jeans and boxers.

His eyes were darkened with desire and his erection was prominent and to be honest delicious looking. I couldn't stop myself. I leaned forward and took it in my mouth. I just had to taste him. It wasn't about returning favors. It was just a need I felt deep in my soul.

To be honest this was not something I had done much in my past experiences because I honestly did not see the appeal, until now that is. There was just something about seeing Edward coming undone at my touch that was so extremely erotic.

"Oh god Bella!" he moaned and twined his hands into my hair. Not in a way that was offensive either. The whole experience was bringing me right back to the edge again as I lavished my attentions on him. I could tell that he was close because his breathing had sped and the sounds he was making were primal.

"Baby as good as this feels I want to feel myself in you!"

I drifted back making every last second count before coming back to rest on my heels. He wasted no time grabbing me around the waist and wrapping my legs around his waist as he thrust into me deeply.

The feeling was nothing short of amazing. We fit together so perfectly that I knew that he was my forever. I didn't care that we had only been together for a short time. There would never be anyone else for me. He was it!

We continued to move together until we were both ready to reach our peak again. In one more hard thrust we fell over the edge together and Edward collapsed on top of me and buried his head in my neck trying to rein in his breathing.

"I love you so much, baby," he whispered against my neck as he placed several small kisses along my collarbone.

"I love you too, Edward," I whispered back enjoying the afterglow of our lovemaking. These were the moments I relished the most. We could have fun together, but there was always this underlying current of passion that was just too powerful to ignore.

**AN; I know that this one was a little short, but it just seemed like the best place to end it was here. The next chapter will be Christmas. Any thoughts on what they are going to get each other? Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Twilighted Supervisory Beta: qjmom**

**Twilighted Junior Validation Beta: oceanwaters2006**

**AN: First let me say I apologize for the delay. I know how frustrating it can be when you do not get updates regularly. I wish I could be as awesome as the authors that have their act together and update weekly. That being said I will never abandon this story and it will get finished. My computer died and I lost everything so that put a major kink in the works. For those of you that are still willing to read thanks for your continued support. There are just 1 or maybe two chapters left. **

Chapter 19

EPOV

Christmas Day

I slipped out of bed while Bella was still curled up under the warm covers and quietly made my way down the stairs. I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for her when she woke up. This was our first Christmas together and my first Christmas with someone I loved. I wanted to make it special for her and for me.

Once I had had decided on what to get Bella for Christmas, I knew that to pull it off I would need to have some careful planning. I had enlisted the help of my family and friends over the last few weeks and by some miracle it was ready. I hoped that Bella truly liked it.

Alice and Rosalie were skeptical and thought that I should get her an expensive piece of jewelry, but I knew that Bella was not that kind of girl. First of all she rarely wore anything other than her watch and some simple earrings. Not to mention that I had been told several times that my spending money on her was NOT necessary. She had been quite emphatic about that point mind you!

When she had found out that the skis she had used for our first 'lesson' were actually not rentals, but a pair that I had purchased for her, she was less than enthused. She couldn't figure out why I would spend that kind of money on someone I hardly knew at the time, or on someone who was just learning. I decided that trying to explain my reasoning was futile and I settled for promising to not make "outrageous" purchases for her in the future. Outrageous being her word not mine.

I had just put the finishing touches on everything when I heard her moving around upstairs. It was only a few minutes until Bella appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way down to where I was sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Merry Christmas, handsome," she greeted me with a soft kiss on my lips before snuggling into my side next to me on the couch.

"Merry Christmas, baby," I replied hugging her close to my body and enjoying the quiet moment together.

"So when do you want to exchange gifts?" I asked her. I was hoping that she would want to do this before we joined the rest of my family at my parent's house for dinner. I didn't think I could wait much longer. It had been difficult enough to keep it to myself for as long as I had already.

"Well by the sound of your voice I am guessing that you would rather it be sooner than later," she teased.

In a great display of maturity, I simply stuck my tongue out at her before pulling her into to my lap for another kiss.

"You guessed correctly, Miss Swan. I have been told quite emphatically that gift giving is not allowed by you on most occasions, so I will take any opportunity I can get to be able to give you a gift."

"You did stick to the rules didn't you?" she asked with one eye brow in the air. I knew she was certain that I wouldn't follow them, but I had. Well I had in my own mind anyway. I may have stretched the rules a little bit.

The rules were as follows:

No purchasing of hundreds of ridiculously pricey gifts that I will never use and/or need.

No more than three gifts.

Alice/Rosalie/Esme may not choose the gifts, but they may offer advice.

In reality, the rules weren't that hard to follow, but I did have to chuckle to myself at that last one. Bella knew the women in my family well! They had been only to enthusiastic to offer advice.

"Well how do you want to do this?" I asked her not sure how to proceed.

Bella wrinkled her forehead in thought.

"Why don't we each take turns opening a gift?"

"Sounds good to me," I replied as I leaned around her to the table and picked up a wrapped box that I had laying there. I was seriously proud of myself that I had managed to wrap it myself.

"Hmmmm," she mused as she gently shook the box by her ear.

"Just open it you silly girl."

"You are no fun," she accused before she tore into the paper with wild abandon.

Once she had it completely unwrapped her eyes began to tear up, "Oh Edward it's wonderful."

I had taken a picture that Esme had taken of the two of us together and had it framed in a silver frame and at the bottom our names were engraved with the message "Our First Christmas". It was cheesy I know, but I wanted to mark this moment in time in some tangible way.

"I thought we could put it on the mantle, so that we could always look back at our first Christmas together," I whispered.

Bella jumped off my lap and walked over to the fireplace and carefully placed the photo on the mantle before stepping back and taking a look at it,

"It's perfect," she whispered to no one in particular before returning to my lap and snuggling in close for a moment.

I had to agree the picture and the meaning behind it were indeed perfect. I was extremely happy and content in my life at this moment. The only thing that would make it better was to make this situation permanent, but I knew that for know that it had to wait. Even though I hated waiting!

"So do you want one of your gifts now?" Bella whispered against my neck.

"Sure," I replied. My curiosity was getting the better of me and I wanted to see what Bella had come up with for my gifts.

She climbed off my lap and went to the tree coming back with a flat package that she placed in my lap before climbing back onto the couch beside me.

The package was smaller than a typical clothing box and slightly heavier than I would have predicted. I carefully tore off the wrappings and was left with a leather bound book that was tied together with a satin ribbon. As I turned it over in my hands I realized that it was slightly worn. My expression must have clued Bella in that I was slightly puzzled.

"It's not a new journal. It's my old one. I use it when I am struck with a thought or creative moment. It's not organized in anyway, but it is a pretty good look into the person I am and the person I was. I wanted you to be a part of everything in my life and I couldn't think of a better way."

I was stunned to say the least. Bella was for the most part a private person. It had taken me months to get her to open up to me, but this was heads and shoulders above all that she had told me. This was letting me in to her whole being. I was truly speechless. Unfortunately Bella took more astonishment for something else entirely.

"I'm sorry. It was a ridiculous idea," murmured Bella as she looked at her hands that were sitting in her lap.

As her words sunk in I realized that I had to fix this and fast.

I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her sp that she was straddling my lap. She didn't resist me, but her head was still looking down at her lap. I gently cupped her chin and lifted her face to look at mine.

"Baby this is the most amazing gift you could have given me. I feel so blessed that you want to share yourself so completely with me, I love you so much that there are no words."

My words must have had the desired impact because she leaned forward and kissed with so much love and passion that I was seriously tempted to carry her back upstairs and forego the rest of our Christmas celebration for awhile, but I knew our time was limited before we were expected at my parent's house.

Slowly we slowed our kisses and just snuggled together for a few moments.

"Well would you like the rest of your gifts now?" Bella asked me.

"Sure." I was curious as to what else she could have possibly gotten me that would top the journal.

Bella leaned forward and grabbed another small package with brightly colored wrappings and ribbons.

I carefully unwrapped the package and slid the lid off the box. I looked inside and was honestly puzzled at what I saw.

"Uh Bella, I'm not sure that I follow this one."

Bella giggled at my reaction. Obviously she was enjoying my confusion. I reached into the box and pulled out the dark blue string bikini that had been nestled in the paper.

"It was Alice's idea to wrap up the suit just to see what you would do. I have to say that the look on your face was priceless though!" she continued to giggle.

Apparently the joke was on me, but I was still clueless as to how a bikini was supposed to be a present to me, unless of course Bella was laying on a beach somewhere wearing it. That would be a fantastic gift!

Still confused I looked to Bella for more explanation, "So this is just a gag gift then?"

"No silly, the bathing suit is for me. Your gift happens to go with it though," she explained as she handed me an envelope that I hadn't noticed before.

I tore open the envelope ready to have this little mystery solved before I got anymore confused. When I read the paper that was enclosed in the envelope it all made sense, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

When Alice and Bella had been shopping and Bella wasn't sure what to get for Edward, Alice had pointed out a display in a travel agent's window. The poster itself was just a generic looking tropical scene, but the idea was there. The y spent so much of their time surrounded by cold and snow that Bella thought a nice vacation in a warm, sunny place would be great.

"Seriously? We are going to the Caribbean? When? " Edward asked in rapid succession.

"Well, I wasn't sure about the timing, so the agent is holding several options open for us. I figured we could take a look and make the final decision together."

Edward just grinned and nodded his head at her before landing a giant kiss on her lips.

"I don't really have a preference as long as you wear that bikini and I get to take it off later!"

"God you are such a man!"

"I can't deny that! I would gladly prove it to you, too if I didn't have another gift to give you." At this point I was a mix of excitement and unease. I still wasn't sure what Bella would think of my gift. Knowing that it was now or never, I stood up from my spot on the couch and placed Bella on her feet in front of me, I covered her eyes with my hands and told her that she had to let me lead her to the location of her next gift.

She grumbled at me, but followed my path that led through the house to the garage. I opened the door with one hand and talked Bella through going down the two steps into the garage.

Bella had obviously figured out where we were headed when she said, "Edward Cullen you'd better not have bought me a snowmobile or something equally ridiculous!"

I just chuckled because if I had my way I would have bought her something much flashier than a snowmobile, but I knew that she would have killed me. In time I was hopeful that she would let me shower her with various gifts, but I was willing to bide my time. Hopefully a lifetime!

Keeping her eyes covered I leaned closer to her ear before speaking softly to her, "Now you have to promise to accept this gift no matter what because it follows all of your guidelines. I don't want to hear one argument from you. Do I have your word?" I had purposefully whispered the last phrase into her skin, knowing the effect it would have on her.

She simply nodded her acquiescence before I removed my hands from her eyes and watched for her reaction.

Her eyes slowly blinked open and adjusted to the slightly dimmer lighting of the garage before I heard her gasp in surprise. I was hoping it was a good kind of gasp, but I was waiting until she said something to be sure.

"Oh my god, Edward! How did you -? I mean --."

The words just came out in jumbles. It was amusing and endearing to watch her surprised reaction.

I knew that a new car was not allowed in her rules, although I wanted nothing more than to buy her something fun and useful to drive around, and maybe in time she would allow that to happen. In the meantime, Bella needed a car and I wanted to do something that would make her happy, so I had enlisted the help of my family and friends, and had her truck restored from the accident.

The ironic part was that the restoration of the truck was more expensive than most new cars that Bella would have considered, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Bella's whispered voice brought me out of my reverie, "Edward how did you do this?"

There were tears on her cheeks as she asked her questions. I silently wiped the tears away with the pads of my thumbs and kissed each of her cheeks.

"Well I knew that you would never allow me to buy you a new car, and I knew how much you adored your beast of a truck, so I pulled the guys together and we got it back to its perfectly horrid condition!" teasing her slightly in my explanation.

She reached up and slapped my chest before pulling me in for a fierce hug.

"Edward this is the nicest, most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you so much! I know you would have rather gotten me something shiny and too fast, but it means the world to me that you did this for me," as Bella spoke she reached up and grabbed the back of my neck to kiss me deeply and passionately.

God I loved this woman!

We finally broke apart after several intense minutes of passionate kissing. Our breathing labored as we rested our foreheads together just enjoying each other's presence.

"Well I am beyond thrilled that you like you gifts, that is all that is important to me," I whispered in her hair.

"Edward I would love to show you just how much I love my gifts, but we need to get ready for lunch at your parent's house, However I will make sure to save my thanks for later tonight!"

I groaned at her innuendo, "Woman you are going to be the death of me. Let's go before I say screw 'em and we are late for lunch!"

She giggled at my statement and took off onto the house with me in hot pursuit. I knew we couldn't have a full round of fun, but who says that we couldn't fool around a little!

**AN: Again thank you for those that are still reading! I really do appreciate your reviews and thoughts!**


	21. Chapter 21

AN: First let me say I am so sorry for the lack of update. RL was a mess and then writer's block hit me head on. I was finally able to write and this was almost finished when my computer died and I lost everything. Needless to say I was a bit discouraged. Now I am back and decided to get this thing done.

So here is the epilogue for Love in the Real World. I decided to end it here and add outtakes at a later date for some missing events. I hope someone is still out there reading this. It has been a learning experience and I am glad I did it.

Epilogue-One year later

BPOV

It was hard to believe that it had been a year since I had come to work at the resort. Honestly the time flew by so fast that it felt like no time at all. Thankfully after the holidays wrapped up, life settled down into a sense of normalcy. Lord knows we needed some time with a little less drama.

Looking back I wouldn't changed a single event of the past year though because each event played its own role in bringing me the most important person in my life-Edward.

Thankfully life really did calm down in the past 6 or so months. We finished working the busy ski season with the rest of the family before finally taking 2 vacations just the two of us. The first being the trip I had gifted to Edward for Christmas. It had been a fantastic gift that we had both enjoyed many times over.

The second was a trip for Edward to meet my parents. I don't think Edward considered that much of a vacation though. He was so nervous for weeks before we left that I thought he might need a tranquilizer to get through the 3 days we were there.

Apparently the fact that my dad was a chief of police, and therefore armed with multiple firearms added to Edward's unease.

My dad spent the first day trying to make Edward as uncomfortable as possible, but after he and Edward went fishing together the next day things completely shifted. I am still not sure what happened that day, but I was just relieved that Edward came back without fish hooks sticking out throughout his body.

The chirp of my phone indicating that I had a text message shook me from my reverie.

I grabbed it off my desk and smiled as I read the message on the screen.

**My beautiful girl-**

**Any chance you have time to do me a favor?**

**Edward X**

God I insanely loved this man! I decided to play with him a little bit and quickly typed in my response.

**A favor, huh? You aren't propositioning while I am at work are you? **

I hit send and was rewarded almost immediately with a reply.

**No, naughty girl, but I may take you up on that later!**

**I need you to bring me my tool kit. I forgot it and can't find another patrol member to bring it to me. Do you have a few minutes?**

I glanced at my desk calendar and there was anything pressing at the moment, so I sent a quick reply on my way to Alice's office.

**On my way! Where should I bring it?**

I leaned in the door to Alice's office after sending the text.

"Hey, Alice! Edward just texted me and asked if I could run his tool kit out to him, He Can't get a hold of any of the guys. Is that okay?" I asked knowing she wouldn't care, but it was still the right thing to do.

"First of all you don't even have to ask you twit! Secondly, my brother probably didn't even try to get someone else. He just wants some midday day nookie!"

"Alice!" I shouted at her. Sometimes having a best friend that was also your boyfriend's sister was a little weird.

She just laughed at me and waved me off.

Being the more mature person I stuck my tongue out at her on the way out the door. I could still hear laughing at me when I walked out the door.

I glanced at my phone and saw Edward's reply.

**Thanks baby! Just bring it to the warming hut! See you soon. **

**Love you!**

I smiled at his admission of love. Edward was always telling me he loved me and to some it may have gotten old, but I loved hearing it from him.

I walked the short distance to the equipment building and sure enough there was no one around. Thankfully in the past year I had received multiple lessons on how to use the variety of equipment here on the resort. I had driven both the snowmobiles and ATVs multiple times. I even had my own custom made helmet. Emmett and Edward both called it my 'crash helmet' and truth be told they were fairly accurate, Not all of my rides on the machines had ended well.

I grabbed the tool kit that Edward needed and strapped it onto the smaller snowmobile before grabbing the matching keys and driving it out of the garage.

Once I had cleared the areas that were more heavily populated with skiers, I let the snowmobile go to a much faster speed. I may not be the speed junkies that the rest of the Cullens were, but I did love the exhilarating feeling that rushed through my veins as the cold air whipped around my face.

The snowmobile glided effortlessly along the path to the warming hut. We had been getting several inches of new snow each day and it made fr a great base to the slopes and surrounding areas.

I reached the warming hut in about 15 minutes and quickly pulled my snowmobile in beside Edward's. His was much sleeker and faster than mine, but they looked well matched sitting their together. I grabbed the tool kit off the snowmobile and walked to the door.

I couldn't help but remember the last time Edward and I had been in this hut together. It was definitely one of my best life moments. I wondered briefly if Edward had thought about that day when he had called me to bring him the toolbox.

I pushed the door open and the sight that met my eyes answered that question for me immediately.

_He definitely remembered!_

I vaguely heard the toolbox clatter to the ground as I took in the scene before me.

There were hundreds of white candles of all shapes and sizes spread around the hut on every available flat surface possible, and there was a fire crackling away in the fireplace, and in the middle of it all was Edward standing there just watching me.

After a few seconds he slowly walked towards me and wrapped his strong arms around my waist.

"Do you know what today is?" he whispered in my ear as he gently kissed the sensitive spot under my earlobe.

Being the ever articulate woman that I was I answered, "Tuesday?"

Edward chuckled against my skin which did not help the coherency of my brain one bit.

"Well beautiful, I can't fault that answer. It is Tuesday, but it is also exactly one year from the first time I brought you here. Which to me is the day that my life became worth living."

_Dear god how did he do that? I few sentences and I was done for!_

With one more kiss to my cheek, he led me over to the couch in front of the fire and sat me down on the soft cushions. I was expecting him to join me, but instead of sitting beside me he knelt on the rug in front of me.

"I am guessing that by now you have realized that I didn't really need the tools. I just needed a way to get you here. I wanted to celebrate this day with the one person who makes my life complete and worth living."

I could feel the tears start to pool in my eyes. He was just so sweet that I had a hard time controlling the overpowering urge to throw him down on the rug and kiss him senseless.

"I feel the same way about you," I whispered as I gently ran my hands down his face.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me, Bella. I can only think of one thing that would make this moment any better."

_Now that was strange. What in the world did he mean by that?_

The answer to my internal questioning became quite apparent a moment later.

Edward shifted his position on the floor so that he was no longer kneeling in front of me, but was kneeling on one knee instead. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

"Isabella, will you marry me, and make this the first of many years together?"

I was a complete mess at this point and the tears were freely flowing down my face. I have no idea how I got so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful man love me like this one did, but I was definitely never letting him go!

So I yelled, "Yes!" before leaping off the sofa and into the arms of my future!

AN: I hope that this wraps it all up for the readers that are still out there. It was definitely an experience, and I have a great respect for those writers out there that do this on a regular basis.

If you feel so inclined please leave any final thoughts. Also let me know what outtakes you are interested in seeing. Thanks again!


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